A New Era
by Crystal Cavern
Summary: Fear stalks the Lake. The leaders and deputies are dying off. To the medicine cats, it is a mysterious illness, but they are unknowingly being framed. As The Dark Aura surrounds them, they are lost and pitiful. Awesome Story, with twists and turns. R&R!
1. Chapter 1: A Shock to All

**A New Era **

I just wanted everybody to know that this is my first Fanfiction, and please, please, PLEASE review and tell me if it's good or not. I'm a total warrior's fan! :P

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 1: A Shock to All

A paw jabbed his side, making Jayfeather wince in his sleep. He hated it when people woke him up for no reason.

"Wake up, Jayfeather, wake up!" Hollyleaf begged. His sister's scent reached him so he shook himself and reluctantly forced himself to get up.

"What?" he asked. "Unless someone's life is in danger, I'd rather have you NOT waking me up in the middle of the night. Look, silverpelt is glistening and I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't disturb me." Jayfeather mewed. "Now, if you don't have anything important to say, then I'm going to go back to-"

"Jayfeather!" Hollyleaf blurted out. "It's important!" Hollyleaf looked around to make sure Leafpool was still asleep. Hollyleaf held her breath as Leafpool's ears twitched. Then she continued, this time in a softer tone. "It's Firestar! And Brambleclaw! Come quickly."

Jayfeather tensed when he sensed the urgentness in Hollyleaf's voice. When she mentioned the names of their father and grandfather he quickly followed her out of the medicine cat's cave.

"What happened?" he asked.

"There's something terribly wrong!"

"How do you know?"

"Remember how Firestar and Brambleclaw seemed sick yesterday?" Without waiting for Jayfeather's curt nod, she continued hurriedly. "Well, to be honest," she started as she gripped the dirt under her paws, "I wanted to check on Firestar tonight. I was worried. I rubbed myself in the fresh-kill pile to mask my scent. Then I went over to Firestar's den. When I got there… I discovered that… that he was…" Hollyleaf hung her head low and half muttered and half gasped, "that he was dead."

"What?!" Jayfeather exclaimed in surprise. Then a wave of agony hit him at full force. He whispered, "I even checked on him yesterday, before he went to sleep."

"Not just that, but…" Hollyleaf croaked.

"But what?" Jayfeather prompted.

"It's Brambleclaw."

"What about Brambleclaw?"

"My nest is right beside Brambleclaw's," she explained. "His breathing was fine when I left, but when I returned… he was dead too."

Jayfeather gasped. "Oh no! Does Lionblaze know?"

"He does. I told him when I found Brambleclaw dead." She almost choked on the last word. The word "dead." What a horrible word. It was as if the world itself was held responsible by the ones who've lost kin to it, as if it caused the deaths of all living things.

Snapping back to reality, Jayfeather nodded. Without a word, he left in the direction of Firestar's den. Hollyleaf went back to the warrior's den. When he padded inside, he smelled something unusual. He could tell that Firestar was in his nest, and that Hollyleaf had been here recently. What surprised him was that he could not smell sickness of any kind. No rottenness, no medicine to suggest he was sick in the first place, no nothing. The sound was horrifying too. No breathing. No quiet huff-puff of taking in air. It scared Jayfeather.

Jayfeather went to the warrior's den next. Sure enough, between Lionblaze and Hollyleaf was the limp body of Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw was still in his sleeping position, with his tail over his nose. Lionblaze jerked his head up when he scented Jayfeather, but Hollyleaf just gasped quietly, her nose in Brambleclaw's fur.

Jayfeather carefully stepped around the warriors and tensed when Birchfall's ear twitched. After a brief silence, he seemed to decide it was more important to check Brambleclaw than to wake him and stepped over him. He padded over to them quickly.

Without a word, he nosed around Brambleclaw; uncertain if he should believe he was really dead. He nosed some more. Finally, certain that he was, he beckoned to Lionblaze and Hollyleaf with a swish of his tail. Together, they padded out the warrior's den.

Lionblaze and Hollyleaf looked solemnly at Jayfeather. Jayfeather could only hold their gaze. Finally, he said, "They're dead."

That was an understatement. To say that they're dead was like bring taken away by a twoleg, trapped with walls on all sides, and then say that you were trapped.

Lionblaze nodded. Jayfeather sensed that his brother wanted to rip and claw whoever's fur that was responsible for this. Jayfeather said, "Lionblaze. Hollyleaf." They stared at him with the same empty eyes. Although he could not see it, he felt their gazes gently boring into him. "It was a sickness." It was all he could say.

"What sickness?" Hollyleaf asked.

"I'm not sure. I noticed that both Firestar and Brambleclaw were in their sleeping positions, which meant that nothing disturbed them when they slept. I found it odd that there was no rotting scent coming from them and that yesterday, they were completely fine–no problems–except that they were clearly sick. Leafpool thought it was tummy ache, and dismissed the problem. That means that there were no messages from StarClan."

Hollyleaf gasped at this. "Are you sure?" she squeaked

"Positive. Now there's a problem." (Another understatement) "When the clan finds out that both the leader and the deputy are dead, the camp will be sorrowful, then it will rage in chaos." He paused. "I'd better wake Leafpool, and the elders too."

Lionblaze and Hollyleaf nodded again, and started to walk slowly towards the elder's den. Before they reached there, Lionblaze ran back to Jayfeather and said, "Didn't Firestar have more than five lives left? What could be so powerful that it took all his lives at once?"

Jayfeather tensed at the thought. Lionblaze was right. Suddenly, his mind was filled with screeches and caterwauls. He saw cats. A lot of cats. They were fighting more cats. The grass was blood soaked and from the corner of his view, he saw Firestar. He looked younger, and his pelt was blood splattered, just like everybody else's. Firestar was staring at a small black cat with teeth–dog teeth–around his neck like a kittypet collar. The small black tom slashed the throat of a large broad, strong-looking tom that resembled Brambleclaw. _Tigerstar!_ Jaypaw tensed and watched as that slash made blood spray everywhere. He winced was Tigerstar died. Then he was surprised when he gasped, and then lay still again. To his astonishment, it happened seven more times. On the last time, Tigerstar didn't move.

He was dead.

Not only dead, but also, he died with all his lives stripped away by a single blow.

Another paw jabbed him, and Jayfeather was at home, in camp again. Lionblaze was looking at him, concerned. "Are you okay? You spaced out there for a few seconds I thought you were going to die too."

Jayfeather reassured him that he was still alive by flicking his ear with his tail. "I'm okay."

"Was it another vision?"

"Yes, I'll tell you and Hollyleaf about it later." Thankfully, Lionblaze left and didn't press him any further.

Jayfeather sighed. He thought about what he saw as he walked back to the medicine cat's den. He had witnessed Tigerstar's death. Although it was perfect for _that _ambitious traitor, it was not for Firestar. Firestar was just and noble, yet he experienced half of what Tigerstar experienced. It wasn't right.

He padded up to Leafpool, and shook her. She lifted up her head and asked, "What's wrong, Jayfeather?"


	2. Chapter 2: How You Deal With It

**A New Era**

So…….. You wanted to find out about what happens next…........ AWESOME!!! As always, review, Review, REVIEW!!! (It makes me feel good!) Here, I wanted to make Leafpool faint, but she would probably have taken too long to wake up. So I did something else instead! BTW, the other leader's deaths are shortened.

If you want to know what happened to the other clans' leader/deputy death, then read on. If not, then you can skip to Chapter 3! It won't make much of a difference either way. If you do read it tho, I just want you to know, it may contain some spoilers for the next chapter(s)!

IMPORTANT!!

When you come to the numbers, if you want to give Leopardstar a peaceful death, read #1. If you want to give Leopardstar a bad, tragic, death, read number 2. (or read both for all I care! ^-^)) I couldn't pick how to kill Leopardstar! (The Riverclan deaths is the best one!!)

~Crystal Cavern

(who is AWESOME)

Chapter 2: How You Deal With It

(IN WINDCLAN)

Ashfoot blinked. She felt weary, confused, and tired all of a sudden. It was sun-high, and the sun shone through a few stray clouds, making dappled shadows dance on the ground. Maybe it was the heat that made her woozy.

She got up and took a blood-soaked rabbit from the fresh-kill pile. _What a lousy kill, _she thought_, but prey is prey. You can't argue with that. _

She walked up to the medicine cat's den. "Barkface, are you there?" She asked.

"Yes, I am. I'll be there in a moment." Barkface finished wrapping up the poppy seeds in a yarrow leaf (to store it) and faced Ashfoot. "What can I do for you, Ashfoot?" He asked.

Ashfoot flicked her ears uneasily. "I brought you a rabbit." Was all she could say. Barkface twitched one ear, impatient. The act of generosity didn't fool him. Something was terribly wrong.

"Are you feeling alright, Ashfoot?" Barkface asked gently.

"No…" Ashfoot replied. "No, I feel terrible. My paws feel like they're going to fall off and my pelt is burning. My head just won't clear no matter how many times I shake it."

Barkface padded up to her. "Lift up your paw." He said. Ashfoot lifted up one of her forepaws. Barkface examined it. "Nothing seems to be wrong with your paw." He concluded, and then felt it with his nose. "It doesn't feel warm at all. Strange…"

"Barkface, I feel like I'm going crazy. I'm having symptoms that you can't detect." Ashfoot mewed quietly, her voice getting weaker.

"I'm sure there is nothing wrong, Ashfoot. You just overworked yourself. First, guarding the camp at night, and then helping with the dawn patrol." Barkface tilted his head slightly, looking at Ashfoot at a new angle. Still Nothing. "I'll give you some poppy seeds to help to sleep. If you would like juniper berries to strengthen yourself, than you can have some of those too."

Ashfoot nodded. "I think I'll have some juniper berries, Barkface. No need to waste poppy seeds on me. I can get myself to sleep. I know you are short on poppy seeds this new-leaf. I heard the gossip around camp. May I ask why?"

"Because of those rabbits." Barkface said. "They are eating all of the poppies, and the seeds don't have enough time to grow." Barkface turned around to get a few early juniper berries from his cache of herbs. "Oh, and, please stay in my den for today. I want to monitor your progress." He said, concern creeping in his voice.

For his efforts, he got a short, and frighteningly weak, "Very well..." from Ashfoot. Nevertheless he was satisfied.

"Here are your juniper berries." He said as he laid them down. "I'm sure you'll feel better when you wake up." Barkface was uneasy. His voice was more strong and reassuring than what he felt.

Ashfoot ate the berries slowly, as if every movement took an amazing amount of effort. "Thanks." She croaked, and lay down on a moss-lined nest to sleep.

Barkface sighed. Her breathing was ragged, and coming in quick, shallow gasps. Everything about her seemed normal, except for the fact that she was really sick.

He soaked some moss in a puddle, placed it near Ashfoot, and whispered in her ear, "Water, if you need it." He took the rabbit and put it on her other side. "Food." He added. With that, he turned and left.

Barkface padded out of his den and looked around the clearing. The clan was sharing tongues.

Just then, Onestar came up to him and said, "Barkface, I need your help."

Barkface nodded. "Of course. What would you like me to do for you, Onestar?"

"Nothing much. I just feel tired and weird. I feel as if something's not right. My fur feels so hot, it's like it has been clawed, and clawed hard."

"Let me guess. Your pads also feel hot and heavy, and you feel weak."

"Yes, that's correct, Barkface. How did you know?"

"Ashfoot came up to me with the same complaints. Just come to my den." Barkface led the way into his den, followed closely by Onestar.

"Lay down on the other nest," he instructed, and went to get more juniper berries.

Onestar twitched his nose. "Juniper berries."

"That's right, Onestar. To help you get your strength back." Barkface rolled three berries with his nose to Onestar. "Would you like some poppy seeds too?" Without waiting for a reply, he went back to the poppy seeds. First, he opened the yarrow leaf, and then removed two poppy seeds from the pile. He then placed it on a regular leaf, and brought that to Onestar, who by this time had already eaten the juniper berries.

"I don't want to nag, but, please eat these." He implored.

"I don't need poppy seeds."

"Poppy seeds will do you good. They will help you sleep. Ashfoot turned down my offer, but you won't. What would WindClan do if their leader got sick?"

"I've still got many lives, Barkface."

"That's not an excuse to not eating the seeds. Onestar, I know you have pride, but I order you as your medicine cat to eat those seeds."

Beaten, Onestar nodded, and licked up the seeds.

"You and Ashfoot will stay in my den tonight. That's also an order."

"Yes, Barkface." Onestar mewed softly.

Barkface gave a _mrrow _of laughter. Both the leader and the deputy, rebellious, just like kits squealing to their mother. Barkface sighed, and whispered to himself. "Please StarClan, help me. Am I doing the right thing? What if I'm sending them to their deaths? Did I give them the wrong herbs?"

Barkface sighed again. Onestar was asleep now, and he himself was hungry. Getting up, he walked over to the entrance of the den. Looking back, he saw that both Ashfoot and Onestar's breathing were short and shallow, in gasps. They were asleep, but uncomfortable. _I'll just go to the fresh-kill pile quickly and get a rabbit for myself,_ he decided.

He walked quickly to the fresh-kill pile. There was a rabbit, two mice, a raven, and another rabbit. Barkface chose the bigger mouse and grabbed it. He decided not to take a rabbit after all. He felt like eating mice all of a sudden.

"Barkface!" An elder called. "My joints are stiff!" The elder's joints, did, in fact, creak. "Barkface!" He called, as he entered the medicine cat's den.

"I'm over he-" he was cut off by a screech made by the tomcat. The she-cats in the nursery came out to see what was the matter. Apprentices poked their heads out if their den. The warriors sharing tongues only fractions of a moment ago were now tense and alert. All cats within the camp turned to face the sound, Barkface included.

"What in the name of StarClan…" Breezepaw murmured.

"Barkface! Barkface!" The elder hissed, "You better have a good explanation of why you have the corpses of Onestar and Ashfoot in your den!"

Now all eyes were on Barkface.

"No… Tell me it's not true…" Crowfeather challenged.

(IN SHADOWCLAN)

Runningnose was worried. He was an elder, yes, but he wasn't stupid. He wanted to see what happened to Blackstar and Russetfur all of a sudden. They seemed so frail and weak. When Littlecloud asked them what was the matter, they slashed at him! Nobody does that to the medicine cat! Maybe it was Sol. That cat, making them lose faith in StarClan, And now making them bitter to their medicine cat! It was outrageous!

He padded up to the entrance of the leader's den and waited. It was evening, and the sun had a few hours left. "Come in, Runningnose," Blackstar said.

"Greetings, Blackstar. You seem weak today."

"Yes, it started a while ago. Must be my age…" Blackstar changed the subject.

"So what brings you, Runningnose, to see me?" Knowing Runningnose, he probably came for a reason.

"Blackstar, you seem frail today." He replied (for the second time). "You and Russetfur. Would you like to tell me the name of your new deputy before he dies… with you…?"

Blackstar gave a wheezy grunt, to hide his anger. You don't go out on an elder, especially a medicine cat elder. StarClan would get angry. _What would they know, _Blackstar thought,_ they're up there!_ Nevertheless, he kept his temper under control.

"No, Runningnose." Blackstar replied, answering Runningnose's earlier question, "We're not going to die so easily, and besides, I still have six lives left."

"Six… Last time I remembered, it was seven… What have you been doing lately Blackstar?" Runningnose interrogated.

"That's none of your business." Blackstar flicked his ears unconsciously. He was nervous. What was old Runningnose getting to?

"Fine… Fine…" was all Runningnose said.

Then there was a long silence as the cats waited, each waiting for the other to speak.

"Runningnose…" Blackstar gasped, finally breaking the silance. He suddenly felt like he was going to die. "Get Littlecloud…" he rasped, and he died.

Runningnose ran to the medicine cat's den. Or rather, he wobbled there. His bones were not what they used to be. His running was awkward, but if you looked carefully you would see a pattern. As he did his wobble-hop-grunt run, his bones groaned with effort.

"Littlecloud! Littlecloud! Go see Blackstar!" Runningnose panted.

"I will! Right after I finish checking over Russetfur!" Runningnose hopped over to Russetfur's body. Her gasps were shallow and many. She looked like she was suffocating. "Russetfur! Not you too!" Runningnose mewed loudly.

But nobody noticed this comment. Nobody was paying attention to Runningnose. They were focused on Russetfur.

Tawnypelt came in. "She was on a hunting patrol with me," She explained, "when she spotted a frog. She leaped on the frog and had it pinned under her paws when she all of a sudden fell over. She's been gasping for air ever since."

Runningnose left the commotion. His ears must be failing him if he hadn't noticed all the commotion that the hunting patrol back until now. He stiffened when he remembered Blackstar. Hobbling again, he limped to the leader's den. Why did it have to be all the way on the other side of the camp?! This was bad. Littlecloud was with Russetfur, and so were rest of the clan. What about Blackstar? Would his lives last?

When he got there, he saw Blackstar gasp his last breath of life… "StarClan…" he croaked, and he died.

Runningnose left the den. There was nothing more he could do. Blackstar was in the paws of StarClan now.

As he padded back to the elder's tree root, he heard Littlecloud giving orders to an apprentice. "Fetch Blackstar. Tell him that Russetfur has died, and he needs to pick a new deputy."

Runningnose whipped around, determined to stop the young apprentice from finding out the harsh truth. "Stop!" he called, but Toadpaw didn't hear him. He continued to race toward the direction of the leader's den.

When Toadpaw got there he cried, "Blackstar! Blackstar! Russetfur is-" Toadpaw suddenly stopped mid-sentence, and gave a loud ear-piercing screech.

"What's wrong?" A she-cat called.

"Bring Bleackstar!" Littlecloud repeated.

Toadpaw's fear scent reached the whole camp. After a brief silence, he called out, "Bleackstar's dead too! And the last cat here was Runningnose!"

All eyes turned to Runningnose. "Explain yourself", Boulder instructed.

(IN RIVERCLAN)

Mistyfoot sighed. Her paws were empty. She just missed the fish again. Normally it would have been an easy catch, but today, she felt groggy. She just couldn't concentrate.

_One more time._ She thought to herself. She sat back, careful to not let her shadow go over the stream. She waited. One fish swam by. _Too deep._ She thought. Another fish swam by. _Too far away to reach. _The third fish came and went._ Too small. _Mistyfoot sighed again. _Why won't StarClan give me a BIG fish?!_ She sat up and gave her fur a few quick licks to hide her embarrassment. She stared at the wet marsh, not thinking about anything in general. Then, in a puddle near her right paw, she saw a tadpole. _That's right._ She thought. _I'm just like this tadpole. Separated from everyone else. Sad, and devastated. I'm so useless._

Just then a fish about a tail length long leaped out of the stream and whacked Mistyfoot on the head. Mistyfoot feel on to the marsh, dazed. The huge fish, seemingly unharmed, flopped around and tried to get back in the water. Only, it was going in the wrong direction.

"Did you see that?" An apprentice called.

"Yah! That fish was huge!" Another one said.

"Mistyfoot, nice job!" The first one continued, her eyes still on the flopping fish, "I've never seen such a big fis-" She stopped as she saw Mistyfoot sprawled on the ground and started to giggle. Realizing the situation, the second apprentice giggled too.

"So that's what you call prey jumping into your paws! No wait, your head!" The second apprentice laughed.

Mistyfoot was so embarrassed; she didn't even try to get up.

The apprentices giggled until Beechfur scolded them. Then, she told the first apprentice, Pebblepaw, to kill the fish and the second apprentice to continue fishing. Next, she went over to Mistyfoot, and asked, "Mistyfoot, are you alright? That fish practically jumped on you!"

"I'm fine."

"I don't know how you did it, but that fish looks like could feed all the elders and apprentices tonight!"

"I didn't do anything, Beechfur." _I just got jumped __**on**__._

"That doesn't matter. A catch's a catch!"

Mistyfoot sighed. _I feel like the sun. It goes around us, round and round, without ever achieving anything. I didn't catch that fish; it jumped on me. _Mistyfoot bit her lip. _And it hurt._

She started back towards camp. Life was suddenly so hard. She wished for Stonefur to comfort her, for Bluestar to tell her how proud she was, because right now, she felt so depressed. Not just depressed, but tired. Not just depressed and tired, but embarrassed. Everything seemed to go by in slow motion, yet she still couldn't _catch_ fish!

Reaching the warrior's den, she found a quiet place to nap. No sooner had she finally dozed off, she was awakened by Voletooth.

"Mistyfoot, come on." He said.

"Wha…?"

"Mistyfoot, it's time for the dusk patrol, remember? When you organized the patrol, you said you would lead it with me, Beechfur, Dawnflower, and Pebblepaw." Voletooth looked at Mistyfoot with concern. "If you're not feeling well, then I will lead it." _You don't have to remind me of the fish, Voletooth!_

Mistyfoot got up and stretched. "No, no, Voletooth. I'll lead it." When Voletooth gave her an unsure gaze, she reassured him. "I'm fine, really!"

Mistyfoot was so tired by the time she got back from the dusk patrol, she could hardly walk. Only her duties as the deputy kept her awake. She reluctant went to see Leopardstar first. Mistyfoot basically crawled to the leader's den. She was no tired now that she realized that she couldn't even feel her wooziness anymore. Just extreme pain and tiredness.

_It feels like my paws are going to fall off! No worse than that, I fell like I'm going to drop dead!_

Leopardstar was waiting for her when she got there.

"Are you all right, Mistyfoot? While you were napping, rumor spread that the fish you caught bunked you on the head!" Leopardstar chuckled, "At least, that's what Pebblepaw told me."

"I'm alright, Leopardstar. And Pebblepaw is right. It did slap me on my head, but I'm fine."

It was obvious that Leopardstar wasn't convinced, but she did drop the subject. "So tell me about the dusk patrol."

"Everything is normal, although there was a stale scent of fox near the ShadowClan border."

"Did you try to track it?"

"Yes, it seems that it has made its den in ShadowClan, but only hunted on RiverClan territory. I've told all the hunting and border patrols to be careful and to chase it out if they see it."

"Is that all?"

Mistyfoot tried to make her last two words sound strong, but they were weak. "Yes, Leopardstar." She said.

"You'd better go rest, Mistyfoot. Tomorrow is another day. I trust that you made the patrols for tomorrow?"

"Yes, Leopardstar."

"You are dismissed."

Mistyfoot tried to walk back to the warrior's den, but she was too tired. Leopardstar saw her off. As Leopardstar was turning back to her den, she heard a thump. She whipped around to find Mistyfoot laying on the ground near the Tree. (That's where Leopardstar gives her speeches/clan meetings)

The last thing Mistyfoot heard was Lropardstar calling out her name.

"Mistyfoot!" And then her vision faded.

She opened her eyes to see her body, lying limp on the ground, getting smaller and smaller. Leopardstar was crouched beside her body, her mouth moving, but no sounds reached Mistyfoot's ears.

_I'm going to the Silverpelt, where StarClan will receive me. I must be dead._ And she was.

Leopardstar, meanwhile, was still crying out to Mistyfoot. "Mistyfoot! You Idiot! Why did you overwork yourself after being smacked by a fish?!?!"

Mothwing looked out into the small clearing. To her surprise, she saw Mistyfoot's limp body.

"Great StarClan!" she gasped, and ran over to the two she-cats.

Leopardstar stepped back to give Mothwing through. "No, no…" She kept on saying. "She can't be dead, Mothwing! She can't be!"

Mothwing concluded, "Mistyfoot was a noble warrior. She died a noble death."

"No she didn't! This death wasn't noble at all!" Leopardstar sobbed.

"She died giving her all to her clan."

"But she didn't have to! She could have lived on! Nothing would have changed!" Leopardstar hung her head low and buried her face in Mistyfoot's coat.

Warriors, apprentices, queens, kits, and elders watched Leopardstar, although she was not aware of it.

Mothwing padded back to the medicine cat's den and was waking the sleeping Willowshine (Willowshine was a heavy sleeper), when she heard Leopardstar conclude, "We will sit vigil for Mistyfoot tonight."

One by one, those who were close to Mistyfoot emerged from their dens and walked to their friend. They wanted to be with her one last time before the elders took her and buried her.

Leopardstar felt suddenly felt weaker. During the day she felt this feeling, but Mistyfoot's death was such a shock it made her feel so horrible.

1) Leopardstar buried her face in Mistyfoot's fur and breathed in her scent. _My friend, I want to join you too! _As soon as she thought that, she felt her soul seeping out from her body, and she died.

2)Leopardstar sighed. She screeched, "Let all cats old enough to fish gather under the Tree here for a Clan meeting!"

No Cats questioned why she was holding a clan meeting. Mistyfoot just _died_! Maybe from a brain percussion!

Leopardstar watched as her clan assembled in front of her. Her voice was filled with sorrow when she spoke, and it sounded very weak.

"Tonight, Mistyfoot has died…"_Because of a fish! _She added to herself. It was obvious her clan was thinking the same thing she was, but nobody dared to say it out loud. "But, we still need to choose a new deputy. I call upon my warrior ancestors to dook down and approve of my choice." _Especially, you, Mistyfoot!_ Leopardstar was really tired by this point. "The new deputy will be-"

Every cat was waiting for the name of the new deputy. Leopardstar paused and looked as if she were in pain. Then she gasped, and fainted.

She tumbled down the Tree, and hit the floor with a crash, her blood soakine Mistyfoot's pelt.


	3. Chapter 3:Preparing

**A NEW ERA**

NOTE: THE MORE REVIEWS I GET, THE FASTER/LONGER I UPDATE

Were back in ThunderClan! This chapter continues from chapter 1, when Jayfeather woke Leafpool up and she asked him what was the matter. (Phew! I finally killed all the leaders and deputies. Two long hours of continuous typing!) I'm still on my happy chibi streak (what has it been… a week already?) so I'm updating daily! (As long as there is no homework) I also didn't read Long Shadows (just a short summery) yet, but I plan to do so soon, so any character names/deaths/events relating to the story that I've gotten wrong, plz tell me. And btw, this chapter takes place at the same day when the RiverClan, ShadowClan, and WindClan leaders/deputies die. (as did ch 1, except before the sun rose) The same day, huh… co-inkydink? I don't think so!

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 3: Preparing

"Before I tell you anything," Jayfeather said, "You must promise me that you will not butt in, run off, scream, wail, or attempt to change the subject while I speak. Wait for me to finish."

"I accept your offer, little Jaypaw," Leafpool said with a twinkle in her eye.

"I'm not little! And my name is Jayfeather! This is serious! Just listen to me!"

"All right, Jayfeather."

Leafpool listened as he poured out the whole story. Her happy expression changed to wonder and then horror. While Jayfeather was speaking, he sensed Leafpool's muscles begin to tense. By the end, her fear scent was so strong that Jayfeather was surprised that one cat could produce so much.

"What?!" Leafpool wailed. "You can't be serious!"

"Do you think I'm stupid?! Do you think I'm stupid enough to lie?! What would I gain?!" Jayfeather argued.

Leafpool looked at him with big eyes and sighed. "Nothing, I guess…" and she turned her face away from his gaze for just a moment.

Jayfeather was furious. Who did Leafpool think he was? Some kind of mangy, annoying apprentice? His anger started to fade. No. That couldn't be true. That couldn't be.

In the moment that Leafpool turned her head away, Jayfeather sighed. He dug through his mind, trying to figure out why Leafpool was sad, and not angry like he pictured her. _Stupid!_ He thought. _I should just dig inside her lousy head for the answers!_ Jayfeather dug and dug, but Leafpool's mind was foggy. Fog was everywhere. There was just more fog when dug even deeper. He couldn't see anything. There was nothing to see. _Why are there so many layers of fog?!_ _She has to be thinking something!_

Normally, Jayfeather would have given up looking by now, but this time he was persistent. Nothing. He searched around for any color other then gray. Nothing. The fog moved and covered him up in layers. Nothing again. He waited for the fog to clear. Still nothing.

It was finally when Leafpool whipped her head around to face him did he finally see a faint gray outline… in the shape of a cat. Moving, running through the fog as if searching for something important to it, yearning for something he wanted and desired over everything else but could not grasp.

Leafpool suddenly straightened up, all the worry and sorrow gone from her face. She flicked his ear with the tip of her tail, and whispered in a sad, pitiful voice, "Thanks for telling me." Leafpool somberly walked out of the medicine cat's den. Only then did Jayfeather realize that his attempts at reading fog were futile because he was searching for colors, things to appear, and visions. It was the fog itself that was that was the real picture! Giddy that he finally solved the problem of reading Leafpool's mind (even though he didn't have enough time to see the whole story), he forgot about the tragic deaths of Firestar and Brambleclaw.

"Come on, Jayfeather. We didn't sit vigil for Brambleclaw and Firestar yet." Leafpool's voice brought back the memories, and he instantly tensed up.

He replied, "I'm coming." _Way to kill a mood!_ He thought, bitterly.

Jayfeather walked into the center of the camp shocked to see all his clanmates, elders, queens, and kits included, sitting around the lifeless bodies of Brambleclaw and Firestar. Many comments were said wholeheartedly, all of them sad but honest.

"At first, I thought Firestar was a soft kittypet, but I was wrong. He was a wonderful leader." Longtail said. "Do you remember, Mousefur, the day when Rusty first came into ThunderClan camp, wearing that collar?"

"Yes, and he will be remembered for generations to come, if I can help it." Mousefur responded.

"Thank you, Firestar, for giving me a home." Millie murmured. "Graystripe and I both appreciate it."

"Me too, Firestar. My kits and I are only alive today because of your generosity." Daisy mumbled softly.

Brightheart snifled a wail. "Firestar, you are a true clan cat."

"Brambleclaw, I knew your hardships. I was once rejected too. It was because of my kittypet roots, and my mother, Princess, that everyone hated me. You were were turned down because of Tigerstar. We both have had some hard pasts, didn't we, buddy?" Cloudtail said.

Hollyleaf moaned quietly, almost to herself. "My father."

"Firestar, thank you for everything." Cinderheart's voice was firm, with a touch of sadness. "I feel as if I've known you for more then one lifetime. You too, Brambleclaw. You are a noble cat."

At this, Jayfeather felt Leafpool, who was standing beside him, stiffen up. She watched Jayfeather, her eyes boring into his pelt, pleading and hoping for him not to say anything reckless. Jayfeather got the warning, and held is tongue still.

The rays of the sun slowly emerged from the horizon and made shadows around the camp. Longtail and Mousefur turned, and watched it as it rose up into the sky, hiding Silverpelt.

Leafpool saw that as a sign, and said, "Longtail, Mousefur, please take Brambleclaw and Firestar somewhere to be buried. The rest of us will stay here and discuss. By that, I mean the whole clan. An apprentice will tell you the news once you get back."

The elders nodded and dragged Brambleclaw and Firestar away to be buried. The rest of the clan stayed with somber faces.

"Everyone, please listen up." Leafpool said, her voice ringing with authority. "I am not your leader, but I am your medicine cat. Right now, we need to discuss what to do." She turned around and leaped onto the Highledge. "Any objections?"

The camp was silent, all eyes and ears pricked, waiting for their temporary leader to continue. Once Leafpool was certain that she had gained their attention, she continued.

"First I need to get some things cleared up. StarClan did not show me any messages, but I will go to the Moonpool to confront them and demand for answers." Some cats gasped, and others muttered words of approval. "Secondly, I will have Jayfeather acting like the deputy while we are leaderless. He is wise and skilled, and I'm sure he will do a fine job." Her gaze drifted on to Jayfeather who was thrilled.

"I will serve to my utmost ability." _This is just like being a Stoneteller's apprentice!_ He thought, slightly thrilled.

Hollyleaf gave him a sympathetic look. "Congrats." She meowed. Jayfeather gave her a grateful look.

Leafpool continued. "We will need patrols now. We can't let the other clans think we're weak. ShadowClan, especially, will try to steal as much as our territory as possible while we are in this state. Jayfeather will organize the border patrols. Sandstorm, you will organize the hunting patrols."

"Won't they try to drive us out?" Hazeltail challenged.

"No. I don't believe Blackstar's intensions are bad. He will want to gain land, yes, but he will not drive us out. That is my theory."

Satisfied, Hazeltail gave a curt nod, and sat down again.

"What about the gathering?" Berrynose asked. "What will we do when the other clans ask us about Firestar and Brambleclaw? Surely we can't lie to them."

"The gathering is in three sunrises. Hopefully, by that time, StarClan will have given me a message. They won't abandon us." Leafpool sounded surer then she felt, but she couldn't tell her clan that. It wasn't logical. A scared leader means a scared clan. "Now, any more questions?" The camp was silent, except for Briarkit.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." She said. Millie shushed her by sticking her tail n Briarkit's mouth.

"Ok. Get to work." And with that, she jumped of Highledge. When she got down, she sighed. Jayfeather and Sandstorm got right to work, just like she instructed. Soon, there were border patrols and hunting patrols scheaduled for the next three sunrises. _Until the night of the gathering_, she thought. "StarClan, help me." She went over to Squirelflight, her sister. "Watch Jayfeather, and make sure he's doing it right." Squirrelflight nodded, and left for a hunting patrol.

When Leafpool stepped in the medicine cat's den, Jayfeather said, "Leafpool, thanks for believing in me." Leafpool nodded, and went to prepare traveling herbs for herself. The guilt stabbed her like a thorn. Why did he have to make her feel guilty? But, it was rare for Jayfeather to be sympathetic, so she decided not to tell him of her betrayal to him.

She ate the herbs quickly, and left for her journey. Thornclaw was guarding the entrance. She stepped out, hesitated, and quickly returned to him.

"Tell Squirrelflight to be careful. Jayfeather might sense something. His sixth sense is sharp."

Thornclaw gave her a questing glance, but probably decided it was better not to question her command. It was probably medicine cat stuff anyway.

"I will." He said.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Leafpool was climbing the rocks when a voice called behind her.

"Leafpool, what are you doing here?" Littlecloud asked.

Leafpool was surprised. What was Littlecloud doing here?

"Going to ask some questions." She hoped she didn't sound too desperate.

Littlecloud didn't seem bothered. His face was a mask. "Me too."

Then the two cats traveled alongside each other for the rest of the journey, in silence.

That was because they each didn't want to give the other the hint that their leader and deputy died. It was their secret, and their's only.

At the mouth of the cave there was a scent of a cat filled their nose. A familiar scent. A friend. The body of the she-cat lay near the Moonpool, with her nose touching water.


	4. Chapter 4: Fate Untangled

**A New Era**

Anyway! I'm finally onto Chapter 4! It wasn't that long of a wait, right? Thx to all you faithful peeps who are still reading! Please review! It will motivate me! Complements, complaints, questions, and comments accepted.

I'm still not certain, but after three days of wondering, I'm willing to let my readers decide if SkyClan should make an appearance. (I've always liked interactive books) Please review and tell me if:

Should SkyClan make an appearance? Why or why not.

If so, should I kill Leafstar? Why or why not.

If so, in a gentle way, a tragic way, or a sad way. Why.

I'm also accepting ideas of death (if you have one that you would like to share (I will change it a bit so I don't steal your idea completely (cause I'm nice))) Btw, you don't have to specify why, but if you do, each reason will count as another tally.

If SkyClan really is making an appearance, then, it won't be here until another few chapters.

Now… onto Chapter 4!

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 4: Fate Untangled

The body, thankfully, was breathing. Leafpool was glad of that.

"Leafpool! Look! It's Mothwing!" Littlecloud cried.

_I'm looking! I also know it's Wothwing! Sheesh! Tomcats…_ Leafpool thought, but she didn't want to offend Littlecloud in any possible way, so she simply said in that gentle tone of hers, " You're right, it is Mothwing. What is she doing here?"

"I don't know, but it feels like the half moon all over again!" Littlecloud explained. "Except this time, without Barkface."

Leafpool nodded, but inside she was worried. What _was _Mothwing doing here? She didn't even believe in StarClan! Then a thought hit her… Maybe there was something wrong with RiverClan… was it the fish? It must be the fish! The fish weren't coming! That's it!

_What am I getting so worked up about? I came here for ThunderClan._

Littlecloud turned around and faced the enterance, his whiskers quivering. He opened his mouth to be sure, and his eyes lit up when the scent washed over the roof of his mouth. "Speak of the devil! It's Barkface!" he piped up.

Leafpool turned around and opened her mouth too. Although the wind was soft, it was starting to pick up and she quickly distinguished that they were unmistakably upwind. Barkface's scent came in. "It's Barkface." She mewed.

Barkface sighed as he climbed up the rocks. The sky was getting cloudy. It was going to rain. Not a light shower, but a heavy thunderstorm.

What about WindClan? It was going to be hard to convince them that it wasn't him who'd killed Onestar and Ashfoot, because the (false) evidence was right there. Those two corpses.

Barkface was not mad ay his clanmates though. He was a very intelligent and understanding cat. Onestar and Ashfoot had died of greencough. That was that. The only problem was that it was a mild new-leaf, and nobody has gotten greencough yet. For it to strike so quickly at the two most important cats was a horrible coincidence. Barkface continued to climb up the rocks. He thought that if he went to the Moonpool, StarClan would give him some answers and send some sort of obvious sign that he did not murder Onestar and Ashfoot, and that it was the illness.

"StarClan," he muttered, under his breath. "Please let my clan believe me."

In fact, the reason he came to the Moonpool was to persuade StarClan that he was not guilty. Yes, that was his top priority.

Clouds rolled over the sky, like they were doing somersaults. They covered the sun, hiding its rays from view. The sky grumbled and shot down streaks of light that were illuminated on the lake. StarClan were probably mad, but why?

Just was it started to drizzle, Barkface reached the entrance of the Moonpool. He heard voices.

Littlecloud looked at her and cocked his head slightly to his left. "What's wrong Leafpool? Why are you repeating everything I say? Is there a problem in ThunderClan?"

_Strike one. _Leafpool tried not to let her expression show, but it must have, because Littlecloud's face went all gentle. He hit the soft spot…hard.

Littlecloud continued. "Did something happen? Is someone sick? Did someone die?"

_Strike two_. Now Leafpool had one more worry to add to the growing pile of burdens on her shoulders. Her troubles were mounting up. First, Firestar and Brambleclaw, then, her new responsibility to take care of ThunderClan, and now, she was going to blow their secret. How was she going to forgive herself?

"No, no. Of course not. Everything is fine with ThunderClan. I'm here because of…" she searched for a word by looking around. Water… Wind… Their Shadows…

She heard a thunderclap, and winced.

"Is it Brambleclaw? He was always getting himself into trouble, just like the journey to the sun-down-place."

Strike two and a half.

Leafpool sighed. She was never going to be able to explain what really happened, but Littlecloud spoke first, and surprised her.

"I can't believe I'm telling you this, but…" He hesitated for a second. "I'm here because ShadowClan has just lost their leader and deputy."

Leafpool's mouth almost dropped open and hit the ground. Was Littlecloud serious? She shook her head to clear it up. Of course he was. What would he gain by lying?

"You see, Leafpool," Littlecloud explained, "Russetfur and Blackstar died on the same day. Russetfur died first, and when we went to tell Blackstar, we discovered he was dead too." Littlecloud hung his head, like he was tormented by the thought. "That's the real reason I'm here. I need to ask StarClan who the new leader will be for ShadowClan." Littlecloud looked at Leafpool. "Is that what's wrong with ThunderClan too? Has Firestar and Brambleclaw died on the same day too?"

Leafpool was speechless. The only words… no. They weren't even words. More like mumbles. "Uh… I… That's… Mmmm…"

Suddenly Barkface showed up, his pelt slightly damp.

Leafpool was glad that Barkface showed up. He had helped her do a big favor –changing the subject. _I will have to repay him later._She told herself

"Leafpool? Littlecloud? What are you two doing here?" Barkface asked. Just as Littlecloud was going to answer, Barkface shook himself, and all the raindrops splattered on Leafpool.

"Watch where you're aiming!" Leafpool hissed.

Barkface apologized with a soft, "Sorry," and put on a genuine apologetic look. He walked closer and sniffed. "Why is Mothwing here too?"

Leafpool said, "It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"Well, I don't. I need to meet with StarClan now." She slid down until her belly fur got all wet, partially from Barkface, and partially from the cave ground. "There have been enough disturbances." Leafpool sighed. Life was becoming so complicated.

With a deep breath, she put her nose to edge of the water and tried to sleep.

Barkface and Littlecloud did the same.

I'm really sorry but, if you've reviewed for The SkyClan appearance, please stop, and revote on my profile. I've just noticed that this was against the rules. Oopsie. All votes on reviews WILL NOT be counted.

~Crystal Cavern (sorry)


	5. Chapter 5: Rage of the Leaders

**A New Era**

Haiiiiii! This Chapter is actually called Rage of the Leaders; or Lack of It, but there wasn't enough room and it seemed to long. If you've been paying attention, you'd know that it wasn't greencough that killed everybody. It wasn't a coincidence either! It was… well… I can't tell you, but you'll find out who/what it was in this chapter! The Great StarClan will tell you themselves! Oh, and that includes Firestar, Blackstar, Leopardstar, Onestar, Brambleclaw, Russetfur, Mistyfoot, and Ashfoot. Will they be angry? Will they be forgiving?

(I still haven't read Long Shadows!! -_-. Some sixth grader at my school is hogging it! And it's been a week! But, hooray for wikipedia…)

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 5: Rage of the Leaders

Sleep drifted over Leafpool, Barkface, and Littlecloud.

Usually, a (dead, *cough cough*) cat from your own clan will come you in your dreams, but since this considered all the clans, StarClan spoke to the medicine cats in a group.

Littlecloud waited. He sat on starry grass, waiting for starry cats. Beside him, the images of Leafpool and Barkface started to appear.

"What are you two doing in my dream?" Littlecloud hissed.

Barkface lashed his tail. "I could ask you the same thing!"

Leafpool, though, was strangely calm. She sat wand waited for her ancestors to appear. She didn't notice the other two medicine cats too much. It was not because of the fact that she didn't care, but because she was much too absorbed in her own thoughts.

"I am not in _your _dream, Barkface, you are in mine!" Littlecloud argued.

"You mean, _you're_ in my dream,"

"No, I'm not! This is a top secret question! I will not let WindClan meddle with ShadowClan!"

"Meddle?! What are you talking about?! ShadowClan were the prey-stealers!"

"ShadowClan are strong, WindClan are weak!"

"Weak?! How dare you!"

"Your agility is perfect for running away!"

"Take that back! ShadowClan were the ones who've had a horrible past!" Barkface was enraged. "You have to admit it, Littlecloud! Brokenstar! Tigerstar! Who else is next?! Your history of leaders is shameful!"

Littlecloud flattened his ears, his pelt bristling. "You WindClan cats are hopeless! Stubborn! Every last one of you!"

"It is ShadowClan who is stubborn!"

"Look who's talking! Look who's the one who doesn't want to lose an argument! That's proof!"

"Littlecloud! It is I who is right, and you who is wrong. Step down already!"

"Barkface," Littlecloud reasoned, "I demand that you get out. This is my dream, and the news is for ShadowClan and ShadowClan alone."

"Actually, this concerns all the clans, Littlecloud." A voice, none other than ShadowClan's previous leader, rang through the clearing.

"Blackstar?" Littlecloud asked, unsure. "Is that you?"

Barkface gave him a see-I-told-you-so look mixed in with a sarcastic no-it's-actually-haunted-crowfood-talking-to-you look, but Littlecloud, fortunately, didn't notice. He was too busy looking around.

"Blackstar? Where are you?" Littlecloud asked, bewildered. "Why can't I see you?"

Blackstar didn't answer. This time it was Russetfur's voice. "Believe, Littlecloud…"

"I don't understand!" He wailed.

"Just keep your tongue still! Give us some time! His spirit has weakened us!" Russetfur snapped.

Littlecloud obeyed, but his tail-tip was twitching in annoyance and uncertainty.

Leafpool, who was jerked to attention at the sound of Blackstar's voice, tried to muffle a laugh with a purr of amusement.

Barkface, meanwhile, was sitting and waiting patiently. He was the first to notice a group of specks in the distance. He held his tongue, though, in fear that Russetfur would claw it off. She could be quite short-tempered sometimes.

After a while, he made out the individual cats, and he was shocked. He smelled Firestar and Brambleclaw from ThunderClan, their scents not completely gone yet, Mistyfoot , Leopardstar, and Russetfur, a little bit angry, Blackstar, Onestar, and Ashfoot, calm, and Bluestar, Yellowfang, and Spottedleaf, who were more starry than the rest. But there was one more scent that lingered on the pelts of the former deputies and leaders that had died more recently. Barkface couldn't identify it, but he was sure that it smelled familiar.

Leafpool and Littlecloud were aware of what was happening now, since the light breeze carried their scents. They now knew what he knew: that all the deputies and leaders of the clans were dead. They knew his secret, and he knew theirs. Leafpool was as surprised as he was. Littlecloud, not so much. Mothwing… well she wasn't here. The thought made him panic. Why wasn't Mothwing here? Moreover, why did all the important cats, (not that other cats weren't important) die? When? Why? Moreover, did Littlecloud and Leafpool recognize the odd scent too?

As they approached, Leafpool bounded over to Firestar. She looked pale all of a sudden, her eyes tired. She had hid it well.

"Firestar, did I do the right thing?' She asked. "Did I handle the situation well? Why did you leave us all of a sudden?" Her voice was pleading.

The starry leader did not reply.

Simultaneously, Littlecloud had gone over to Blackstar and Russetfur, asking the same type of questions.

Barkface stayed where he was. He was a surprised, yes, but he has self-control. Onestar padded over to him. He said "You have not been well, Barkface, I'm sorry."

Ashfoot came beside Onestar. "As am I." The gray she-cat sighed. "I'm sorry we couldn't send any signs."

A yowl sounded from Mistyfoot. All cats turned her attention to her. She stepped back. "Leopardstar wishes to speak."

Leopardstar replied, "Mistyfoot, in StarClan, we are equal, so you don't have to continue serving me." When Mistyfoot nodded, Leopardstar continued. "First off, I just want to make it clear. You all know a secret."

Littlecloud shifted his paws uncomfortably. They did. The clans were leaderless and deputy-less. There was going to be bloodshed and chaos, he could tell. To his surprise, that was not what Leopardstar meant.

"As you can see, Mothwing is not with us today." _Nor will she ever be. _She added to herself. "That is because she does not truly believe in StarClan."

Littlecloud gasped. Leafpool winced. Barkface waited.

The former RiverClan leader continued. "I was shocked as well when I learned of this, but she has served RiverClan well, so we will let her continue as our medicine cat." Leopardstar looked hard at Barkface and Littlecloud. "I trust that you two will not speak of this to anyone, and that includes among yourselves." _Leafpool, I trust. _She added silently.

Brambleclaw spoke next. "We will now begin our meeting. Leafpool, you will briefly recap Littlecloud and Barkface on ThunderClan. You will share with them our secrets, strengths, and weaknesses. Then, you two," he looked over to Littlecloud and Barkface, "will tell each her and each other the same thing. Leave nothing out. It is the will of StarClan. Then, we will give you your personal instructions. You will carry them out, and make the choices there is to make." Brambleclaw paused.

Leafpool gulped, but luckily, Brambleclaw wasn't finished yet.

"You can tell whoever in your clan you think necessary about this." He looked hardly at the three stiff medicine cats. "_Except_ the other clans' secrets. I trust that you will guard the secrets well, and bring them with you when you die and join us. Any questions?"

Leafpool gave her chest fur a quick lick. "May I tell Mothwing, Willowshine, and Jayfeather about the secrets? They deserve to know, and they can help us."

It was Ashfoot who answered. "Yes… you may. But the terms still apply to them."

Barkface twitched his ear nervously and reluctantly stepped forward. There was doubt in his heart. Was it the right thing to ask? He took a deep breath and said, "What is that scent on you?"

Brambleclaw looked at Bluestar, Yellowfang, and Spottedleaf, who had not spoken a word yet. They nodded. Brambleclaw looked back at the three medicine cats. He hesitated. "I-it's…" He paused again. When he made up his mind, he quickly said, "Bluestar will tell you."

Bluestar bristled. "No, I won't."

Yellowfang spat, "Brambleclaw, you're a coward! Tell them yourself!"

Leafpool purred… _Same old Yellowfang…_

Spottedleaf sighed. She stepped forward, and said, "It's Scourge…"


	6. Chapter 6:The Rest of the Visit

**A New Era**

Wow. 4 people have voted so far on weather I should put SkyClan in the story or not. Thx. Just four. You know, 3 voted yes, and 1 no. If you hate SkyClan and you want me to hurry up and finish the story, go vote no! If you wanna see Leafstar die a funny/weird/tragic/normal death then hurry up and go vote yes! Either way, the votes will be closing January 16th, 2009 (that's my Birthday!) and then SkyClan will/will not make an appearance. Don't worry, I'm still updating daily! So, there'll be a few more chapters before SkyClan comes/will not come. If they don't, I'll just jump to the end. If they do, then I get the privilege of killing another cat! I'm not evil; it just keeps the story interesting!

There is also a lot explained in this chapter. Read carefully; and you might find some clues!

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 6: The Rest of the Visit

Barkface tensed. "What are you saying, Spottedleaf? Scourge? That rotten scent on my leader (and the other leaders and deputies) is from _Scourge_?"

"Yes, Barkface." Spottedleaf mewed. She seemed sad.

Leafpool gasped. Barkface continued, "So what does he want? Why is he here? I have a right to know!" His pelt bristled, and he yowled in fury. "Explain more to me, Spotedleaf!" It sounded more like a demand than a request.

"Is that really what you want, Barkface? Once this information is exposed, you will have to stick to our plan. There will be no turning back." Spottedleaf explained.

Yellowfang spoke next. "Because Scourge has declared war on us, we can either step up to meet it, or run away. He probably has a strong force backing him up for him to act this rash. By saying you want a clear explanation, you're saying that you want to battle him. The road will not be easy, but there is hope. Is that really what you want, Barkface?

Barkface unsheathed his claws and stabbed it in the ground to prevent himself from going mad. "The leader and deputy are both dead! They blame their medicine cat!" he yowled. "What more do you want my clan to suffer? If nothing is done, then WindClan run away and scatter. It almost happened once before, I will not let it happen again!"

Yellowfang's gaze drifted to Littlecloud. "WindClan has made their decision. What does ShadowClan think?"

Littlecloud replied, "ShadowClan is right now being led by an elder, but he is weak. I'm afraid that he will die soon. I cannot help him through this one. ShadowClan will perish as well." He stood on all four paws and arched his back. "If Scourge is fighting us, ShadowClan will fight back!

Bluestar padded to Leafpool and whispered in her ear. "Leafpool, ThunderClan has already agreed to take part. You don't need to make the decision. One of the three has done it for you. I don't think you can change his mind; you are of equal rank." Leafpool nodded. _Jayfeather._

But then Leafpool looked over to Leopardstar. "What about RiverClan? What will you do?"

Leopardstar boldly responded, her eyes full of determination. "RiverClan are not cowardly. We will join you. I have sent Willowshine a message. Rest assured, Leafpool."

Russetfur lashed her tail, impatient. "Now that we have all agreed on issue number one, I'd like to start on issue number two: explaining." She looked at Littlecloud. "_Now _I will answer your question."

Russetfur stepped back until all the cats were in front of her, and not all clustered around her. She sat with authority. "In ShadowClan, Runningnose was framed as being the culprit, but Runningnose as a loyal cat. He will fight for us, even if it kills him. He did not kill me. He did not kill Blackstar. Scrouge did." She paused. "We felt his presence, then we died."

Barkface interrupted. "How did he do that?"

Firestar answered the question. "All cats have a spirit. When a clan cat dies, their spirit rise up to StarClan. When kittypets die, their spirit also rises."

"What does that have to do with this?" Litlecloud asked.

"Let him explain!" Yellowfang snapped, "He'll tell you! Nothing will be repeated, so listen carefully! Now, I don't want any more interruptions until Firestar finishes!"

All the cats, including Bluestar and Spottedleaf, obeyed.

"As I was saying," Firestar continued, "all cats have spirits. That includes Scourge. Normally, kittypets go to other skies, but it seems that he was the founder of the Dark Forest. His thoughts were harsh, which is what made him go there. Never in the history of cats, has one been so bitter at life." Firestar got up, walked to a spot where grass didn't grow, and smoothed it. He used one claw and drew a circle.

"Let's say that this is StarClan territory." He drew another circle, bigger than the first, next to it. "This is kittypet territory. The reason it's bigger is because, there are many kittypets who don't know about StarClan and believe them. He drew another circle, the biggest one of all, placed under the first two. It looked like an upside-down picture of a pyramid. "This would be rogue and loner territory." He lifted his paw and moved it onto a stray patch of grass about an inch apart from the circle representing StarClan. "This," he said, "would be the Dark Forest." He drew another circle, twice as big as the StarClan circle. It was centered near the StarClan circle and the Bark Forest. "This is tribe territory, and what other else." The last thing he drew was a line outlining the four of the five circles with a narrow tunnel running from the Dark Forest to StarClan. He drew another circle around the Tribe circle and scratched out the remaining area that had not been used. "The rest of the sky is space for other life forms, such as foxes and badgers."

Leafpool flicked her ears.

"Speak, Leafpool." Firestar said.

Leafpool asked, "Why is there no connection between the Tribe territory and us?"

"Good question. The reason is because they walk different skies. When your spirits rise, they just go to one of these territories." Firestar indicated the circles with his paw. "They can leave if there is a path, but if there isn't, then they must stay in their territory. Our journey to the lake is an example. When the clans traveled, they traveled by foot, which is why you could enter the Tribe's territory. When StarClan traveled, we traveled another path to get here, which was why it was hard to connect to us there. Does that answer your question?" Leafpool nodded.

"Now, let's say that when Tigerstar died, his spirit immediately joined the Dark Forest. Then there would be two cats there, and who knows how many more that we don't know about." He put his orange paw on the Dark Forest and dragged it to StarClan territory. "Now Scourge has finally made a move, and has traveled far to get here."

Russetfur spoke. "Now, Mistyfoot will explain how Scourge managed to kill us."

Mistyfoot got up from her spot and sat so she faced the three medicine cats, who were trying to cram all the information into their heads.

"I remembered feeling dizzy", she said, "and I remember getting whacked by that fish, but I also remember the feel of Scourge. You're probably wondering how he managed to kill us when he's up here, but think about it. I'm surprised that StarClan had kept the secret for so long."

Barkface asked, "How is this possible? To go back down? He can't become alive again, can he?"

At the sound if his words, Leafpool tensed. _Cinderpelt…and Cinderheart… They were one, yet two._

Mistyfoot glanced at Leafpool, as if sensing what she was thinking. Ashfoot padded up to Leafpool, and whispered in her ear, "It's not the same as Cinderpelt." And she sat down.

Mistyfoot continued. "No, Barkface, you can't."

Ashofoot whispered again. "She means, you can't if you want to be the exact same form. There will be some memory loss, but the personality will be the same." Leafpool flicked her ear in thanks and gratitude.

"Unless…" Mistyfoot paused. "Unless there is a sacrifice... A Spirit Sacrifice. It gives you access to the earth below, but you must have a body. Even with a Spirit Sacrifice, you need somebody to be in. Now, can you guess how Scourge got a hostage to use?"

Leafpool thought. The last outside that was here was Sol. Sol also knew of the eclipse.

"Think of Scourge. He probably had a visit with a cat. Then crept into his body. Then Scourge has a choice. He could just use the body with his own mind, use the body but let them control themselves, or he could harm the body." Onestar explained. "That was how he killed us. By harming us. When there is physical contact, Scourge can switch bodies. Which cat would he contact, get into, and slip out of, without getting caught?"

Leafpool was unsure but she asked anyway. "Was it Sol?"

"Yes. StarClan suspects that it was." Ashfoot said. "We think that he got in Sol without harming him, and made him do all the traveling."

"But how did Scourge travel through the clans?" Leafpool questioned.

Leopardstar answered that one. "He stayed in ThunderClan when Sol passed through, and killed after a while. Then he paid WindClan a visit. A boarder patrol, most likely. Then he somehow got contact with the lake, and seeped into a fish. Did we ever day that his hostage had to be a cat? No. From there, he visited ShadowClan, and finally from ShadowClan, he got into a fox, and from the fox, into RiverClan. Barkface, your Clan has had contact with a fox, right?"

"Yes we have."

" I think from the fox, he put himself onto a plant. It must have taken a lot of energy, because plants are not like us. They do not move, and thus different. But they do grow, like us. After a while, RiverClan cats picked up the fox scent, right to the plant he was in. Then he got to RiverClan. Wherever he is now, he is probably planning his next move."

"Wait." Littlecloud said. "You mean you don't know where he is?"

"No. We don't know for sure, but we suspect that he's in ShadowClan."

Littlecloud was horrified.

Back at the camp, Jayfeather was restocking the herbs. "Hey, Foxpaw, would you help me deliver a message to Sandstorm?"

"Sure Jayfeather, what would you like me to tell her?" Foxpaw asked.

Jayfeather had had Foxpaw help him with his errands since Leafpool left, which was about a few moments ago. "I need to take a nap." He explained, "which is why I want you to tell Sandstorm that she's in charge until I wake up. Nobody comes in here unless there is an emergency. Understand?" Jayfeather hated to sleep in the middle of all the crisis, but he _had_ to speak with StarClan.

"Are you sure, Jayfeather?" Foxpaw asked.

"Yes, it will only take a while."

"Ok, then." Jayfeather heard Foxpaw scamper off.

Jayfeather curled up and tried to sleep. It was hard, with all the noise and all, but he tried hard. To keep his mind off of everything, he wondered about his vision. As soon as Leafpool had left, he told Hollyleaf and Lionblaze about his vision. They seemed shocked, and Hollyleaf had given him a suggestion. She said that it probably had something to do with the unusual deaths of Firestar and Brambleclaw. Jayfeather wasn't so sure, but he needed to check, to make sure. He closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, he knew he was dreaming. It was obvious, because he could see. Firestar was standing before him.

"Greetings, Jayfeather." He dipped his head.

The first thing Jayfeather had wanted to ask was what happened to him on that night, but he didn't. Instead, he said, "Has Leafpool gotten to the Moonpool yet?"

"No." Firestar watched him. "I know why you are here, Jayfeather."

"Ok. Then tell me what I want to know."

"Is there any chance you could leave without acquiring the knowledge you seek?"

Jayfeather's reply was confident. "No."

"Very well. Scourge is on the prowl again."

"Again? What do you mean by again, Firestar? Has this happened before?"

"No. I mean, he wants to spill unnecessary blood again."

Jayfeather nodded. "Tell me everything."

Firestar told Jayfeather the whole story of Scourge. At last he finished. "So, Jayfeather, make the decision for ThunderClan. Are we going to fight?"

Jayfeather's blood surged. "Yes, we will." _Lionblaze is going to love this!_

"Jayfeather, now that you know the Scourge, is there anything else you need to know?"

"Yes. I'm guessing that all the other clans have lost their leader and deputies too, right?"

"That is correct. The battle has already started. Scourge had the element of surprise."

"What about appointing new leaders and deputies?"

"I cannot tell you, until the battle is over. Try to understand."

"Yes, Firestar." But inside, Jayfeather was furious. _He knows that the clans are in turmoil. Why won't he help us?"_

"Jayfeather?"

"What is it, Firestar?"

"Wake up and go check on Squirrelflight."


	7. Chapter 7: The Secret that Two Knew

**A New Era**

Chapter 7! Whoo-hoo! Everything is going so Swoove! I'm excited. This is going to be a fun chapter! In this chapter, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze discover Squirrelflight and Sandstorm's secret! What is it? *drumroll* … I can't tell you! But didn't you find it odd that they (Sandstorm and Squirrelflight), who were so closely related to Firestar, didn't say anything at his vigil? Huh? Huh? I'm sure a lot of you missed that, but there are plenty more clues. You might want to reread the chapters! I'll give an example of a clue on the next chapter! Promise! (unless you don't want it)

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 7: The Secret that Two Knew

Lionblaze just got back from the sun-high hunting patrol. He had caught a squirrel, two mice, a thrush, and a vole in less than ten minutes, so he was very happy with himself. _I bet that even Sandstorm can't hunt as well as I can!_ Well, anyway, he was walking toward the fresh-kill pile to put in his catch, when he remembered that he forgot to collect his thrush. He quickly deposited the food and left toward the exit.

Hazeltail was guarding the entrance. "Where are you going, Lionblaze?" She questioned, her voice soft. "You just came back from hunting."

Lionblaze was about to yell at her when he remembered that this was a time of depression, and every cat needed to know where the other was going according to Jayfeather's orders. _Lucky furball!_ He thought. _Why did he get to be tempory clan leader?_

Hazeltail's new made him realize that he didn't answer her question. "Are you ok, Lionblaze? Something bothering you?"

"No. Nothing. I'm just going to go get the rest of my catch."

"You caught more?" Hazeltail was surprised. "In such a short time?"

"Yah." And he stepped outside the camp.

The first thing he smelled was his own scent, mingled with everybody else's. He went back to the lakeside, which was roughly where he left his thrush. He was surprised when he caught the scent of Squirrelflight and Sandstorm. _What are they doing here? They weren't on the hunting patrol!_ Lionblaze was curious of what they were doing. They couldn't have been on the border patrol. First reason; there were only them. Two cats are not enough for a patrol. Also, there was no clan by the lakeshore. ShadowClan was more west, and WindClan was more south. They were going the wrong way! Lionblaze was getting angrier by the second. There was work to be done back at the camp! _Lazy cats! _He thought.

As he padded on, he suddenly smelled Hollyleaf_. So she met up with them! Figures, she's a she-cat after all._

As he tracked, the scent suddenly split. Squirrelflight went around a large tree, while Sandstorm went the other direction with Hollyleaf. Lionblaze hesitated. Which scent should he follow? He pondered for a while, and then finally chose Squirrelflight's path. It was closer to his thrush, and he could use that as an excuse if she ever found out that he was following her.

He tracked on. After a while, the scent grew fresher, and he walked slower, with caution. Lionblaze pricked up his ears. He heard nothing, so he continued. He put down his weight equally, as if stalking prey. His paw steps were so soft, that even he had trouble hearing them. Perfect.

After a few more steps, he heard Squirrelflight talking.

"Nobody knows we're here, Sandstorm." He heard a rustle. "I don't think we were being followed." Lionblaze's fur bristled. _So they met up again!_

He crept behind a bush.

This time it was Sandstorm's voice. "Are you sure, Squirrelflight?"

"Positive."

"Ok. I'm sorry I dragged you out here. It's just that…"

Lionblaze tensed, and made the bush crackle. _Oops._

Sandstorm's voice came out. "Who's there?"

Lionblaze reluctantly stepped out. He was surprised to see Hollyleaf opposite of him. Squirrelflight's temper flared.

"Why are you two here? Were you following us?"

Lionblaze was taken back. "I-I thought Hollyleaf was with you!"

Hollyleaf shook her head. "I was following them, same as you, it seems."

Squirrelflight seemed desperate. "Leave us immeadiately!"

Hollyleaf responded, "Not so fast, _Mother_!" Lionblaze thought, _Which is not you!_ "Lionblaze and I need an explanation. What were you two going to discuss?"

"That's none of your business!" Sandstorm snapped.

Jayfeather stepped out from behind a large tree trunk. "I think it is now." He said.

"Jayfeather?" we all exclaimed, at the same time.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," he said bitterly. We must have offended him somehow.

"What are you all doing here?" Squirrelflight asked. "Was this planned or something?"

_Or something, _Lionblaze thought.

"Before we were so rudely interrupted," Hollyleaf said, "I'm pretty sure that you two were going to tell us something." Hollyleaf's stare was cold.

"We made no such promise!" Squirrelflight retorted.

"Either way," Jayfeather said, "Squirrelflight, Sandstorm, why don't you share with us what you were about to say?"

Sandstorm nodded. Squirrelflight looked at her. "You're not serious, Sandstorm, are you?" she asked.

Sandstorm replied, "We've been found out. We should just surrender."

_Wise choice. I'm sure you don't want to face my wrath!_ Lionblaze thought_._

Squirrelflight sighed. "Fine, but who else is with you? ThunderClan can't know!"

Jayfeather padded up to her and sat down. "Nobody. Just us three."

Lionblaze and Hollyleaf sat down to listen too.

Squirrelflight started. "The night Firestar died, I was there. Like Hollyleaf, I had rubbed myself in the fresh-kill pile."

"How did you know that?!" Hollyleaf blurted out. "The only ones I told were Jayfeather and Lionblaze!"

Squirrelflight calmly answered, "I was inside Firestar's den when you checked on him. When I heard you coming, I slunk into the darkest corner and waited. When you left, I came out, inspected him, and left to tell Sandstorm."

_So that's why Hollyleaf didn't notice. They smelled the same, so she thought the scent came from her when it was really form Squirrelflight! _Lionblaze was pleased at himself for the second time today. This time, for solving part of the mystery.

Jayfeather interrupted. "Wait. What were you doing in there when Hollyleaf went in? Start from the beginning."

"As you wish. I was checking on Firestar, because the day before that, he seemed ill. He had hinted to me that he was going to die, and I wasn't sure if he was serious or not. So, I went to check on him when he was sleeping. To my horror, he was already dead. His body was cold." Squirrelflight looked at her paws. "I then went to the dirt-place. I made sure the scent was on me, and went back to the warrior's den; I thought my story was pretty normal. It wasn't suspicious. I knew I should have told you or Leafpool, but Hollyleaf had already warned you. When you came in and took Hollyleaf and Lionblaze with you, I told Sandstorm. We waited for you to make a move."

Sandstorm carried on. "And you did. We sat for the vigil, but we were surprised to find that Brambleclaw was dead too. You know the rest. Can we go now?"

"No." Lionblaze said. "You told us the story, but you didn't tell us what you were going to discuss."

Sandstorm sighed. "Looks like you caught that, Lionblaze. I'm impressed." She purred. Lionblaze nodded, and quickly licked his chest fur in embarrassment.

"While I was on the dawn patrol this morning, I split up with the group. I had caught RiverClan scent on ThunderClan territory. At first I thought it was the tunnels, but I remembered that you sealed that off. I knew it was a single warrior, so I left to find her. Guess what? It was Willowshine. She came to pass on a message. She said that it was urgent, but I didn't want her to know about our weakness, and turned her down. She said she was coming back tomorrow, and I agreed."

Jayfeather nodded. He knew that Willowshine was probably coming to ask for help. After all, Leopardstar and Mistyfoot had died.

Squirrelflight nodded. "That was all?"

"Yes, Squirrelflight." Sandstorm said. Her gaze traveled over to Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather. "Now what would you three be doing here. I want the truth."

Lionblaze was the first to explain that he had fresh kill. Hollyleaf said that she was on sun-high patrol. "Remember?" Hollyleaf asked. "You wanted extra patrols, Sandstorm."

Sandstorm nodded. "I do."

Jayfeather stared in the general direction of the cats. "I'm now going to tell you something I wasn't planning to, but it seems that it is necessary." He spilled out his dream, and his conversation with Firestar, except for the other clans' weaknesses. Lastly he told them about Scourge.

His clanmates gasped, and Squirrelflight's mew rang out. "What?" she yowled. "Why would that little-! If I could get my claws on him I'd rip him apart and feed is insides to crows!"

Sandstorm was calmer. "Where is he now?" She asked.

"Somewhere in ShadowClan, it seems." Jayfeather answered.

Sandstorm nodded. Jayfeather continued. "StarClan, and, if the other medicine cats can convince their clans, then they will help us too. I have not received direct instructions yet, but when I do, that kittypet will wish he'd never been born!"

_I wonder if Tigerstar and Hawkfrost know. _Lionblaze thought.

The sun was setting. Finally someone noticed. "We'd better get going." Sandstorm said. "I'll make an excuse on they way. Play along."

Jayfeather nodded. "Leafpool has probably returned. I'll tell her that you all know."

And with that, the five cats went back to camp.


	8. Chapter 8: Hazeltail's Rebellion

**A NEW ERA**

Hi! Crystal Cavern here! First of all I just wanted to say, Thank you to those six people that voted! The vote is now 5-1, with yes as the answer! So I'm gonna ask one more question! Here it is: Should Leafstar die? Review the answer plz! What the first three people say when they review will be the answer! So review quickly, 'cause a lot of people read!

Also, I know I promised that I would put an example of a clue, but then… the story wouldn't have been interesting! So I'm sorry to all of those who were looking forward to the free clue! But you can still have a hint if you want: It has something to do with the revival of Runningnose!

Eat your veggies, brush your teeth, and don't trip your friends on purpose! Crystal Cavern over, and out!

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 8: Hazeltail's Rebellion

Hazeltail was at the camp entrance when Leafpool returned. "Hello, Leafpool." she said. "What did StarClan say?"

Leafpool practically dragged her paws with her. "The news isn't very good." Leafpool sighed and faced Hazeltail. "StarClan have not abandoned us, but they won't tell me the name of the new leader." At this Hazeltail gasped. Leafpool assured her, "Don't worry, Hazeltail. I know you're worried, but we'll get through this, the other clans are helping us."

"Why would they help _us_? And how do they know? You didn't drag yourself to all the clans and announced out our weakness, did you? Hazeltail said.

Leafpool glanced at her and walked on. "No, I didn't." She said without looking back.

The sun was setting. It was time for the dusk patrol, and also for rest. Hazeltail sighed. Clan life was hard for her, but she enjoyed it.

Suddenly, the scent of four cats drifted into her nose. _Sandstorm, Squirrelflight, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf. What were they doing altogether?_ She thought. As the little group approached her, she asked them.

Sandstorm replied. "Squirrelflight and I were hunting when we found these two collecting herbs."

Hazeltail was suspicious. They had no herbs, and they also had no fresh-kill. Something's fishy about this. She decided to ask. "Then why are there no herbs and no fresh kill?"

Squirrelflight's temper shot out of her. "Because!" She screeched. "Just because." Squirrelflight walked into the camp, her head held high, her tail lashing.

Sandstorm sighed. "Hazeltail, Squirrelflight was just peevish because she caught nothing. We didn't have much luck. Lionblaze offered to go get what little we caught, and since it was getting dark, I agreed. You don't have to worry about herbs. Jayfeather said that… Well… You ask him…" Sandstorm walked off too.

Hazeltail looked at Jayfeather and Hollyleaf. "Well?" She said.

Jayfeather was angry. "Thanks for the help, Sandstorm!" He called. Then he stalked off towards the medicine cat's den.

Hazeltail was really suspicious now. What was so important that they couldn't tell her? She looked at Hollyleaf. "So?"

Hollyleaf stared back. She pawed the ground nervously in a circular motion five times and drew an outline around four of them.

Hazeltail was getting impatient. She flicked her tail and twitched her ear. "What's wrong? Mouse got your tongue?" She asked.

Hollyleaf looked up from her diagram. "Lionblaze will tell you. Jayfeather had forbidden me to tell anyone, but he didn't exactly say the same thing to Lionblaze's face." And she walked away too.

Hazeltail was stunned, and a little bit mad. Why wouldn't they tell her? She felt down and tired so lay on her belly. Her paws across the ground, one of them, blurred the furthest circle, but she didn't notice. She listened for Lionblaze. He would explain when he came back. She tilted her ears in all directions, trying to hear a rustle, a twig snapping; anything that would alert her that Lionblaze was coming. She waited.

Berrynose, Sandstorm, Honeyfern, Cloudtail, and Brightheart came over to her. They exited. Hazeltail gazed at them with a weary expression.

"Dusk patrol." Brightheart said. Hazeltail nodded.

She strained her ears for Lionblaze again, but heard nothing from the forest. The medicine cat's den, however… had voices coming out. Hazeltail was curious. She got up from her position and padded silently closer to the voices.

She tried to eavesdrop, but she only heard fragments.

"Sandstorm, Squirrelflight, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze..." _Jayfeather._

"… know about it? It means…" _Leafpool._

"…most of it… Willowshine…" _Jayfeather._

_What? Willowshine? Wasn't that RiverClan's second medicine cat?_

Next was Leafpool's voice. It was loud and furious. "How could you send her away?!" _Send who away? Willowshine? Did she come for a visit? _Then Leafpool whispered something.

Jayfeather's fear scent reached Hazeltail. _What is going on?_

Hazeltail was alert. She crept back to the entrance, and not a second too late. Jayfeather came out and ran to the warrior's den. Hazeltail was going to follow him when she heard Lionblaze coming.

When he was close enough, Hazeltail said, "You owe me an explanation."

Lionblaze dropped a vole at his feet. "For what?" he asked.

Hazeltail explained in a hurry. "Sandstorm said that Jayfeather was going to tell me why you guys went herb hunting but didn't bring any herbs back since Squirrelflight stormed off, but then when I thought Jayfeather was going to tell me, he walked off too and so I asked if Hollyleaf would tell me, but then Hollyleaf said that Jayfeather had forbidden her to say why, and she told me to ask you." Hazeltail gasped for breath. "I just want to know the truth. Why did Jayfeather leave Hollyleaf with me if he had forbidden her to tell anyone? Why did I hear Jayfeather tell Leafpool stuff about you, Sandstorm, Squirrelflight, Hollyleaf, and Willowshine? Why is nobody telling me anything?" Hazeltail took another breath, but this time it was more like a brief gasp. "I want to know what is going on, and why this is happening. I want to know what StarClan said, so I would know how to help our clan, so Lionblaze, please don't push your luck and tell me to go ask somebody else because my patience is really low and I will not take no for an answer!"

Lionblaze looked at her, astonished. He said slowly, so slowly that the pressure was killing Hazeltail. "I honestly have no, and I mean no, idea what you are babbling about."

Hazel gave an angry screech and pounded the ground once with her front paw. "UGHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Lionblaze tensed and stepped back a bit. "Whoa! You don't need to go all dramatic…"

Hazeltail stepped back. "Fine, if none of you will tell me anything, then I'm leaving." She turned around and fled out of camp.

"Hazeltail!" Lionblaze called. "Hazeltail, wait, come back!" Hazeltail heard him but continued running. She ran as fast as she could, not caring who saw her. Up ahead an angry owl screeched. Hazeltail changed direction.

She did not notice where she was running. She just ran. Although her sides hurt, she continued. She ignored her pain. She ran her soul out, with all her might.

_StarClan! Help me!_ She cried desperately in her head.

She ran around trees, darted over bushes and shrubs, and she disturbed a few mice, but she didn't care. She continued running. The landscape changed from trees and shrubs to tall pines and needles. The ground felt prickly underpaw. Even when she could run no more and her body was yelling at her to stop, she continued. As she continued to run, tears started to form in her eyes. Her vision blurred… And she hit something large and hard.

Then everything went dark. Absolutely dark.


	9. Chapter 9: The Stunt That Gave Answers

**A New Era**

Hi! What's up guys? The story is going great! I'm getting lots of hits! Yay! Also, it has been decided that SkyClan _will_ be joining us! So, anyway… We're gonna switch back to Jayfeather's POV, and he's gonna try another… Let's say, "experiment" in this chappie. Hmmm… I wonder how that's gonna turn out! Anyhoo! This chappie takes place just after Hazeltail ran away, and the day after Leafpool returns. Fun!

~Crystal Cavern

P.S. I tried to make this chappie long since I took a little break! Oh, and, please review!

Chapter 9: The Stunt That Gave Answers

As the light started to shine in the medicine cat's den, Jayfeather awoke. He stretched his paws and yawned. _What a night!_ He hadn't been able to sleep well after what Leafpool told him. He tossed and turned his nest the whole time! And when he did sleep, it was an uncomfortable struggle. But, that wasn't what made it so unbearable. He was worried that Firestar didn't come to him in his dreams. And Willowshine too… What about her? Wasn't she supposed to come back today?

He pricked up his ears and listened. A few birds were chirping. Everybody was waking up and getting ready for the day. He scented Leafpool sorting out some herbs, and heard the crunching of dried out leaves. There was the faint scent of Hollyleaf, Berrynose and Mousefur too.

"Should I go collect some more herbs?" He asked. "Some of those don't seem fresh anymore."

Leafpool didn't reply. She just continued sorting.

"Leafpool? Are you all right? Leafpool?" He padded over to her.

Leafpool was playing with some catmint. "Leafpool? Leafpool, what's wrong?" Jayfeather asked again. When she still didn't say anything, he batted her tail. "Leafpool!" He screamed, right in her ear.

She looked back, over her shoulder. "Good morning, Jayfeather." She murmured sadly. Although he couldn't see it, Jayfeather was sure that Leafpool had a somber expression on.

"Leafpool, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing." _Yeah right! And hedgehogs fly!_ Jayfeather thought.

"You can tell me, Leafpool." _And if you don't, I'll pry it out of your head!_

Leafpool sighed, and stopped playing with the dried out, crumpled pieces of catmint. "It's Hazeltail." She said. "Sh-she... she ran away."

_Hazeltail what?!_ "Last night, after you left to go see Hollyleaf in the warriors den," Leafpool continued, "Lionblaze came in and said that Hazeltail ran away." Leafpool shook her head. "I don't know why! I feel like I'm failing Firestar! And StarClan! And all of ThunderClan!" Leafpool wailed softly. "Why? Why is this happening? Why didn't StarClan give us a new leader? If this was decided, then none of this," she gestured to the catmint, "would have happened!"

"What else? What are you not telling me? I'll find out sooner or later." Jayfeather asked. _What does Hazeltail running away have anything to do with catmint?_

Leafpool turned away. "Jayfeather, take a warrior with you and go fetch some more catmint. It's by the abandoned twoleg-place."

Jayfeather's fur bristled. _I know where it is!_ "I don't need a warrior to accompany me! I could do it my myself!" He argued.

Leafpool replied without moving or seeming offended. "Fine. Take an apprentice then. You'll need an extra mouth to carry it."

Jayfeather forced his fur to lie flat. "Fine." He said. "But who has green-cough?"

"Mousefur does, but Berrynose, and Hollyleaf have tummy-ache. They were here, but I told them to go rest in their dens, since it's not too bad. Green-leaf is mild this year, and they've worked so hard. Berrynose and Hollyleaf need some yarrow. I think you should gather some of that as well. They probably ate some bad fresh-kill." _Mousefur, I understand. She old. But, Hollyleaf and Berrynose?! What have they been eating? Other than being his usual annoying self, Berrynose is a strong warrior! And Hollyleaf! She's sick too! She was fine last night!_

Jayfeather gave a curt nod, and then felt stupid since Leafpool wasn't looking at him. He decided to get some fresh kill first, and then ask Sandstorm to go with him. She was practically ancient, and very intelligent. Plus, he needed to talk to her. She needed to know what Leafpool had told him the night before. He could have taken Squirrelflight, but his "mother's" mouth was slippery. She blurted things out too much. Sandstorm had more self-control.

As he padded over to the fresh-kill pile, he noticed that there was only a thrush left, and the one that Lionblaze brought back yesterday too. It was not too stale, but it reeked of dirt. How long exactly was it buried?!

He decided not to eat after all. It wasn't worth it. He could wait for the hunting patrol to return. It wouldn't take too long. Lionblaze was with them. Again… Jayfeather regretted putting Lionblaze on so many patrols. He had wanted to keep him busy, but now it was hard to find a time when everybody was free to discuss the issue.

Jayfeather padded over to the warriors den. "Sandstorm?" he asked.

It was Brightheart who answered. "She went out with Cloudtail to track down Hazeltail. Why?" she asked.

"Nothing." He sniffed. There was only Brightheart, Hollyleaf and Berrynose in the den. Hollyleaf and Berrynose were sleeping, but Brightheart was awake. (Obviously…) Everybody else's scent was stale. "Where is everybody else?"

There was a pause. "I don't know." Came the uncertain reply. "Here and there, I guess." Jayfeather thought that that was suspicious. _I don't remember giving orders that included this many cats to be gone for such a long time. Where could they be? For all I know, Littlecloud might make ShadowClan invade our camp now! _Then he went against his previous thought. _No. Firestar said that the other clans would help us. There would be no reason to attack right now. All the other clans have their own problems._

He thought about his next move, and picked his words carefully. "Brightheart." He said. "I need to go get some catmint for Mousefur, and some yarrow leaves for Berrynose and Hollyleaf. Can you come with me?" He paused, and then explained. "It's so they can get better. I don't want them to get sicker. You're good with herbs."

His former mentor thought. "Of course, Jayfeather. I want to help the clan in any way possible."

"Thanks, Brightheart." Jayfeather said.

Jayfeather and Brightheart headed towards the abandoned twoleg-place. They walked in silence.

About halfway there, he tried to talk with Brightheart. "Brightheart, who do you think the next leader should be?" Jayfeather tried to make it sound casual.

At the words, Brightheart flinched. She thought about it. "StarClan chooses." _Instead of picking a cat's name, she submitted herself to higher power. A very wise answer. _Jayfeather thought.

"What do you think caused the deaths of Firestar and Brambleclaw?" Jayfeather asked.

Again Brightheart flinched. There was another pause, and then, "I don't know, but whatever it was, it was not any sickness I've ever heard about."

"What do you have in mind, Brightheart?"

"Well…" She thought about it, uncertain. "I think it was a ghost."

"Ghost?"

"You know, like a spirit. I know I shouldn't be telling you this, but Greystripe said that when he lived with twolegs, he once heard the twoleg kits squeal about ghosts. He said that they seemed scared of them."

"Greystripe lived with twolegs before?" Jayfeather asked.

Brightheart twitched her ears. "Yes." Then she added quickly. "But you can't tell anyone I told you, especially the senior warriors. Okay?"

Jayfeather nodded. "Fine… But tell me more."

Brightheart hesitated. "Well… Back when we were in the forest… You know, the one which Tigerstar lived in… Well… Before we left…"

Jayfeather was getting impatient, and he gave his tail a single lash. "Please get to the point."

Brightheart sighed. "Well… The twolegs came in and captured cats… Including me… Greystripe, who was deputy at that time, led a rescue patrol and saved me, and all the other cats, but he himself got caught." Brightheart sighed again, and she continued in a gentle tone. "That was when Greystripe got sent to a twoleg home, where he met Millie."

Jayfeather finally understood. He once caught a glimpse of what it was like in one of Cirderheart's stories, but this was the first time he heard the whole thing. "And it was because of the twolegs that we moved here, right?"

Brightheart nodded. "That's right. You weren't born when it happened, but that's the true story."

Jayfeather tried to get the conversation back on track, but it was Brightheart who spoke first.

"Jayfeather, at the gathering, what are we going to do? StarClan didn't give us a new leader, and they showed no hint of help. Are we going to be driven out like WindClan?" Brightheart blurted out.

"WindClan were driven out?" _Why is there so many things that I don't know?! StarClan, why don't you just tell me the whole history of the Clans?! It would have been really useful right about now! _Jayfeather flicked his ears. "I feel like a blabbering fool." _Wow. Never said that before. "_Could you tell me about the time when WindClan was driven out?"

Brightheart stopped walking. "Jayfeather, we're here."

Jayfeather hadn't noticed, but now he could scent that they were, in fact, at the abandoned twoleg-place. And… he was about to walk right into the catmint bush. For the second time that day, he felt stupid.

Brightheart began collecting stems of catmint. Jayfeather did the same. They got as much as they could, and headed back to camp. Jayfeather wanted to chat a bit more with Brightheart, but with his mouth full of herbs, he couldn't. So instead… he decided to go into her head.

But before he did, he remembered that he would have either spaced out or gone unconscious, and quickly pushed the idea out. It would have been bad if he suddenly stopped walking and flopped on the floor like he was having a heart attack.

When Jayfeather and Brightheart got back to the camp, they went straight to the medicine cat's dean and dropped the herbs by Leafpool.

Leafpool thanked them, took a few stems, and ran to where Mousefur was.

As Jayfeather walked back outside, he noticed that there were a lot more cats around. _Hmmm… I guess that they finished whatever they were doing._

Just as Jayfeather was padding over to the freshly stocked fresh-kill pile, Brightheart spoke up. "Jayfeather, we still need to get the yarrow leaves for Hollyleaf and Berrynose."

Jayfeather grunted in response. He hadn't eaten since yesterday, and he was hungry, but medicine cats had to help their clans first before relaxing. It wasn't a rule, just common sense. Plus, it'll make you honorable.

Jayfeather and Brightheart padded out of camp.

When they were out of earshot of Squirrelflight, who was guarding the entrance, Brightheart spoke. "Jayfeather, where is the yarrow tree?"

Jayfeather replied, "Just follow me. I know where I'm going. And Brightheart?"

"What?"

"Could you tell me about WindClan?" Jayfeather felt like a kit again, begging to go out and explore clan territory.

To his surprise, Brightheart didn't answer his question, but asked _him_ question. "Jayfeather, why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious, I guess. A medicine cat needs to know this stuff." _Plus, I want to know if this has anything to do with Scourge._

Brightheart stopped walking and turned around to face him. "Mousefur has greencough, right?"

"That's what Leafpool told me." _Why do you want to know that?_

"Then why don't you ask her to tell you the story when she gets better?" Brightheart asked playfully.

"I don't want to seem like a kit! She might not even tell me!" _And besides, she's going to wonder where I got the idea from __**if**__ she survives._

Jayfeather nudged Brightheart's shoulder with his nose. "Come on, I want to get back to camp by sun-high." _And I also want to eat._

Brightheart continued to follow Jayfeather.

"Jayfeather," She asked, surprising Jayfeather once again, "What about you? What do _you _think happened to Firestar and Brambleclaw?"

_I don't think, I know._ Jayfeather thought, _but I can't tell you that… At least, not yet…_

Jayfeather padded on without answering.

"Jayfeather?" Brightheart asked, "Come on! Tell me! I won't laugh! I promise!"

"I can't." was all he said.

Brightheart flattened her ears against her head, but then straightened them up again. "Fine, but I'm here if you ever want someone to talk to. You can trust me."

Jayfeather rounded an oak tree to get to the yew. He smelt it. He heard Brightheart shuffle around. "What do we do, Jayfeather? The yarrow tree doesn't have a lot of leaves! They're so tiny!" _That's right, it's new-leaf! Welcome to reality!_

"Don't worry. We just have to break down a branch with leaves on it. Even small leaves would make a cat vomit out whatever bad prey he had eaten."

"Fine. Let me try." Brightheart said. Jayfeather sat down and listened to Brightheart. He could hear her drop into a hunter's crouch. She gathered all her strength in her hindquarters and leaped. In midair, she unsheathed her claws and sliced the tip of a small branch off. She landed perfectly, but her voice was not happy. "The yarrow is so tall! I can't reach the branches!"

Jayfeather sighed. _And that's why we climb…_ He got up and grabbed the tree trunk. Digging his claws in, he heaved himself up onto the first branch. "This is how it's done." He continued to climb up until he was pretty high.

"Careful!" Brightheart called.

"I can take care of myself!" he yowled back. Jayfeather climbed onto a sturdy branch and dragged himself across it. Once he thought he scented a squirrel within leaping distance of him and his mouth watered. He was about to jump, but he didn't. Jayfeather lost his balance and wobbled on the branch. He was expecting Brightheart to tell him to be careful or to come down and let her do it, but she held her tongue. _If only all cats were like her._ Jayfeather thought. Snapping back to the present, Jayfeather sliced off a few small twigs around him. They fell to the forest floor.

He called, "Get those twigs, Brightheart!" and started to climb down.

Brightheart's reply was muffled. "I'ff goth ttit!"

As Jayfeather climbed down, he got an idea. When he got within leaping distance to the ground, he purposely let his hind paw slip and he tumbled to the ground. It didn't really hurt that much, but he let out a yowl anyway.

Brightheart ran over to him, and spat out the twigs. "Jayfeather! Jayfeather! Are you okay?" She asked. "Say something!"

Jayfeather pretended to pass out. He peered into Brightheart's mind, searching for WindClan's past. _I'm sorry, Brightheart_. He thought, _but if you won't tell me what happened to WindClan, I'll find out myself._

Jayfeather searched into Brightheart's mind. First the image of Cinderheart tumbling out of a tree came into view. _I guess she's thinking I broke my leg or something._ It was a logical thought, so Jayfeather wasn't too angry.

He looked for WindClan cats… but saw nothing. He did see a group of cats… _No… That's BloodClan. I recognize them from my other vision._ He looked for WindClan, but he didn't see them. _No WindClan…_ There has to be something from WindClan!

Then he saw Onestar. But that was it. No WindClan past.

Jayfeather realized that he was taking too long, and slipped back into his own mind. Brightheart was pacing around him. "What do I do? What do I do?" She seemed to be talking to herself. "Ok. Calm down, Brightheart. You're not going to tell him about the meeting. You're not going to betray your clanmates. You're not going to tell him anything. You're going to go back to camp and ask for help." She sounded worried.

Jayfeather immediately sat up. He didn't want the clan to know about this, and especially not Leafpool. "I'm fine." He said.

Brightheart wasn't convinced. "I saw you fall! When did you wake up? Are you all right, Jayfeather? That was my fault! I'm so sorry!"

"That wasn't your fault. I'm fine. I only pretended to fall." Jayfeather said.

"What are you talking about? You slipped! I saw you!" Brightheart babbled on. "We need to get you back to camp." She shook her head briefly. "No. Never mind. I'll bring Leafpool over here. Don't move!"

As she was turning around, Jayfeather pounced on her back, claws sheathed. His weight pinned her down. He growled in her ear. "I said, I'm fine. Calm down, Brightheart."

Brightheart slowed her breathing from fast, shallow gasps to normal breathing. Only then did Jayfeather climb off her.

"Now." Jayfeather said. "Brightheart. You owe me an explanation."

Brightheart replied. "No. You owe _me_ an explanation."

Jayfeather sighed. "Fine. I pretended to fall so-"

"So you could scare me to death?!" Brightheart challenged. "I thought you had broken bones! I thought you would have been crippled for the rest of your life! I even briefly thought that you were going to be like Cinderpelt!"

Jayfeather responded by twitching his ear. "But I'm fine. It's over." Then there was an awkward silence. "Brightheart, now it's your turn to explain. What did you mean when you said, 'meeting'?"

Brightheart twitched her ears and looked away, like a guilty apprentice who didn't change the elders' moss. "I can't tell you."

"Yes you can."

"No, I can't. I can't betray everyone."

"What is it about? At least tell me that." Jayfeather said.

Brightheart hesitated. "The gathering that's in two moonrises."

"And…?"

"Our new leader."

_**Author's note:**_

**I tried to make this chappie long, and I put in about 3 hours of continuous typing! For my efforts, PLEASE review! The reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**In other words, review, or **_**else.**_


	10. Chapter 10: Chapter 10

**A New Era**

YO! Thanks all you guys who reviewed! Chapter 10 is out! Whoo-hoo! Chapter 10! **Double digits!** Did I ever tell you that chapter 10 continues the story?! (Duh…) But this time, it will be in Brightheart's POV! Brightheart will explain the 'meeting' for you guys, 'cause she knows you're all dying to know!

Originally, I was going to name this chapter, "Chapter 10: The Meeting; Exposed", but then, in honor of FireWerewolf (who is getting on my nerves), I changed it to Chapter 10. So Chapter 10's title is Chapter 10. Is this vaguer enough for ya?!?!?!

As always, go review!

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Brightheart fidgeted. She could tell that Jayfeather was angry. Why wouldn't he be? If you were the medicine cat, who had faith in StarClan and you suspected that your clan did also, and you just discovered that your clan turned their back on your ancestors because they thought that they knew better than them, wouldn't you be mad also? Brightheart suspected that Jayfeather was in that position. He had every right to be angry, and for that, she was happy, because it showed that he cared for his clan. If he didn't care, then he would have been ignorant, and _that_ is _not_ a good thing.

Jayfeather trembled in fury. His fur stood on end. His tail lashed back and forth. His ears were pinned back against his head as far as they could go. He even emitted a dim aura. Not dark or evil, but not exactly white and joyful. In fact, it was far from that. The birds stopped singing. The mice stopped scurrying. Even the sun hid behind some clouds. The whole forest seemed as if it was shirking away from Jayfeather. Jayfeather was like a volcano, ready to erupt.

"Tell me what you mean, Brightheart." Jayfeather said, harshly, as if every word was a struggle between rage and peace.

Brightheart could not look at him. She was scared of his reaction. "I-I just can't tell you… You'll get mad it me…"

"Just say it. If you don't I'll get my answers in my own way."

"Wh-what do you mean by that?" Brightheart asked.

"If you don't tell me, you'll find out." Jayfeather's voice was a cutting edge, ready to pierce at any moment.

Brightheart trembled and pinned her body down on the ground as low as she could. Jayfeather could be mean and bossy, and now… Scary.

"Okay! I'll tell you!" Brightheart blurted out. "Just don't hurt me!"

Jayfeather waited. His tail tip twitched.

Brightheart cowered. "Th-the meeting… Remember when there were not many cats in the warrior's den? I'm sure y-you do. They all went for a meeting. B-But it wasn't everybody. Just most of Th-ThunderClan… They tried to de-decide on…" Brightheart's voice trailed off.

"On what?!" Jayfeather bellowed. The whole forest seemed to shake on the impact of Jayfeather's voice.

Brightheart's mew was pitiful. "O-on, the new leader…"

"I already know that! Tell me something I don't know!"

"We-well…" Brightheart wasn't scared anymore… She was downright terrified. She couldn't remember being so scared in her life. Those vicious dogs seemed like nothing compared to Jayfeather's anger. Why? Because when those who hated you hurt you, it's to be expected. Jayfeather lived in ThunderClan, and she had been his mentor. It hurt when someone who was as close to you as your own family yell at you like that.

Brightheart trembled. "Re-remember Berrynose and Hollyleaf? They had tummy-ache. I-it wasn't bad prey… Well… actually it was…-"

Jayfeather cut her off. "Explain more clearly!"

Brightheart's stumbled over her words. "M-Mousefur thought that because StarClan didn't respond to Leafpool… That they abandoned us… S-so she… She… She hid something bad in Hollyleaf and Berrynose's prey b-because she knew that they were going to oppose the m-meeting." _Hollyleaf and Berrynose would have never allowed the meeting to happen… _Brightheart thought.

Jayfeather closed his eyes and took deep breaths. "How is that possible? Mousefur is sick with green-cough! A sick cat wouldn't have been able to do something like that! Plus, she's an elder!"

"B-but… I saw her… Last night… When you were all asleep. After hiding something… in the prey, she waited for you all to sleep. Th-then she went down to the lake, and dunked herself in the water. I-If you're wet on a night like last night, then you would be more prone to green-cough. Right?"

Jayfeather sighed. "So I didn't know anything because I was asleep?"

Brightheart nodded. "That's right…"

"But I didn't sleep well last night. I was awake for most of it."

"No… you were asleep… You were in a fitful sleep, but nevertheless, sleep…"

"Oh…" Jayfeather said. "And how do you know all this?"

Brightheart summoned up all her courage. "I n-noticed that Mousefur was acting strange, so I followed her. Everybody has been working so hard, and they were all tired. I alone saw Mousefur go to the lake and come back."

"What about Longtail? Does he know?"

"He was p-part of the meeting too…" Brightheart stammered.

"I see." Jayfeather said. "We'd better be getting back to camp. Leafpool would be wondering why we were out so long. But first, tell me why _you_ weren't at the meeting."

Brightheart didn't say anything. Her whiskers quivered.

"You were their backup, weren't you? You were supposed to cover for them. Am I right?" Jayfeather thundered.

"Th-that's right…" Brightheart just managed to choke out the words.

Jayfeather sighed. "Oh great StarClan, why can't I just tell them all?"

Brightheart was confused as well as scared now. _What does he mean by that? What is he hiding from the rest of the clan? I think he's suspicious… but, he's our medicine cat! Whatever he's hiding __**must**__ be for the good of our clan, _Brightheart thought.

Jayfeather got up and walked away. Without looking back, stopping, or slowing down, he said, in a hard tone, "Brightheart… Let's go."

Brightheart didn't have any choice. Of course she followed him.

They traveled in silence. Brightheart was anxious, mainly because she didn't know what Jayfeather was going to do. He could be so unpredictable at times.

When they finally arrived, Jayfeather swished his tail and said, "Brightheart, come with me."

Brightheart followed. She felt small. She felt as if Jayfeather was her superior, which in fact was true since he was a medicine cat, but she was way older than him. She was even old enough to be his grandmother! Because of that, Brightheart was uneasy.

Jayfeather led her to the medicine cat's den. _No surprise there,_ Brightheart thought. _I wonder what he's going to do now._

As if reading her mind, Jayfeather padded over to Leafpool. Jayfeather was going to speak when Leafpool asked, "Where are the yarrow leaves?! Berrynose and Hollyleaf are still in pain!"

A look of realization crossed Jayfeather's face. _Oh, that's right, we forgot to bring it with us, _Brightheart thought.

"Brightheart!" Jayfeather exclaimed. "You forgot to bring the yarrow leaves!"

"Me?" Brightheart asked. "Why are you blaming me? You were the one who forgot! Since when was I your slave? Since when was I supposed to carry it? You should be blaming yourself!" _Jayfeather's tongue is so sour. It's not my fault he forgot to bring it. _

"You were accompanying me, weren't you? It's your job to bring it! Or at least remind me!" Jayfeather hissed.

"Well, I'm so sorry to forget it, your majesty!" Brightheart spat back. "Idiot…"

Leafpool looked at both cats. "I don't care who's fault it was! Somebody go get it! Hollyleaf and Berrynose are in pain!"

Jayfeather trotted to the entrance. "I'll go get it. After all, I'm the medicine cat. Brightheart, you'd better tell Leafpool what you told me. I'm serious. Then, Leafpool, I'll leave it up to you if you want to tell her _that._" Jayfeather left.

"Tell me what?" Brightheart called after him.

Leafpool twitched her whiskers. "Go on." She said, not unkindly. "What do I need to know?"

Brightheart sat down and flicked her ears. "I hope you're prepared for some bad news."

Leafpool gave a purr of amusement. "What more can go wrong? I'm already cornered," Leafpool pointed out. _So is the rest of ThunderClan. _Brightheart thought._ We're still vulnerable. We're leaderless._

"I hope you're ready for this." Brightheart said, unsure.

Leafpool nodded. "I am."

"Okay. Well, there was a meeting…" Brightheart explained. "A meeting about our new leader."

Leafpool tensed, all her forced happiness from before gone. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

Brightheart looked away. "We were all concerned about the gathering. You know, the one in two moonrises."

"Oh yes, _that_ one." Leafpool said. "I've been dreading it."

"Well…"

"Well what?"

"There was a meeting." Brightheart fidgeted. This was like explaining to Jayfeather all over again.

"When?"

"Today…"

"And your point is?" Leafpool asked.

Cloudtail appeared beside them. "I hope I'm not interrupting you two."

Leafpool sighed. "No it's alright."

Cloudtail took a breath. "It's Hazeltail."

Leafpool nodded. "That's right. Did you or Sandstorm find anything?"

Cloudtail blinked. "It's not exactly good news."

"Oh great. More bad news. I didn't think it was good news since you didn't bring Hazeltail back with you." Leafpool murmured, and then said, a little louder. "I guess that was to be expected."

Cloudtail seemed offended. He was, after all, the best tracker in ThunderClan. "I caught her scent trail. She ran towards an owl's nest and then changed course. Her final destination was ShadowClan. I didn't go any further than that. I reported back."

Leafpool sighed. "She is so troublesome. What was she thinking? Especially at a time like this…" Leafpool pondered over the issue for a bit and then looked at Cloudtail. "We need to get her back. Could you do it?" She asked.

"O-of course." Cloudtail replied. "When do I leave?"

"Now." Leafpool said. "It's too important to wait. I need her back here, as soon as possible. If not, then there will be a huge problem." Leafpool twitched her ears in frustration and worry. "I didn't think I would have to deal with this until the gathering!"

As Cloudtail stepped out, Honeyfern stepped in.

"Leafpool, do you have a spare moment?" Honeyfern asked.

"Sure, no problem. I have my whole life ahead of me." Leafpool replied sourly. "What now?"

"Well… I'm sorry I didn't report this sooner, Leafpool."

_That's right._ Brightheart thought bitterly._ You were at the meeting right after that. Of course you didn't have time._

Honeyfern continued. "Anyway, our dawn patrol clashed with ShadowClan's patrol. Nobody was harmed, but there was a lot of spitting. One of the ShadowClan apprentices got physical and leaped on Squirrelflight. That's all."

"As long as nobody got hurt, it's fine." Leafpool said.

Honeyfern was uncertain. "Okay. I just wanted to tell you." And with that, she walked out.

Leafpool turned back to Brightheart, who hadn't spoke a word during the entire process. "I'm sorry." Leafpool said. "Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"

Brightheart nodded. "There was a meeting, remember? It was so we could decide on a new leader."

"We? You were there?"

"Well… most of ThunderClan." Brightheart replied. "Myself not included."

Leafpool was shocked. It showed on her face. "Oh, great StarClan, why can't I tell them all? If I did, this would never have happened!"

Brightheart narrowed her eyes._ Didn't Jayfeather say something like that a while ago? Hmmm… I'm pretty sure he did. They really are hiding something from us. I wonder how many cats know about it. Right now, I'm only sure about Jayfeather and Leafpool, but since they used the word, 'all', there are probably more cats that know._

Brightheart opened her mouth again, and this time spilled out the truth. She told Leafpool everything… Well… Not exactly everything. She left out Jayfeather's curiosity on history (not important enough), her failed attempt on getting yarrow leaves (no need to embarrass herself), and Jayfeather's pretended death (she'd only make Leafpool worry). That was her first mistake.

"So, as you see, Mousefur planned this." Brightheart finished.

Leafpool was shaken. "Mousefur? How could she? I thought-"

Just then Jayfeather returned with half of the remaining branches of yarrow leaves. He padded over to the storage area and went to work. "Did you tell Leafpool yet?"

Brightheart nodded. _But not the whole thing. _

"Good. Leafpool, have you?" Jayfeather asked.

Leafpool shook her head. "Not yet. It doesn't feel right." To Brightheart, she said, "Don't worry. You will know soon enough. Trust me. It's better if you don't know everything for now." Leafpool eyes suddenly seemed far away. "Sometimes I wish I didn't know these things."

Jayfeather nodded at this and finished storing the herbs. "Okay. Brightheart, you may go now."

Brightheart wanted to scream, to shout. She wanted to know. She wanted to help, and not be a burden…but she couldn't disobey. So, she went outside.

She went outside, but she didn't go far. Her curiosity got the best of her. She might have gone outside, but she would not give up. Quickly, Brightheart padded to the back of the den. She quickly and quietly pawed some loose dirt and brambles free from the main structure, creating a hole. The hole was small enough to not be noticed, but big enough for Leafpool and Jayfeather's voices to be heard. She lay down and listened.

"I'm going to check on Mousefur." Leafpool said.

Jayfeather's voice seemed urgent. "Wait, before you do, you should know something. I've given some yarrow to Hollyleaf and Berrynose. They regurgitated out the bad prey and should be fine now. Only… I don't think it was the prey that harmed them…"

"What do you mean?" Leafpool asked. "Brightheart said that Mousefur did something to their prey."

"She might have." Jayfeather said. "But I couldn't figure out what she did. I also don't think that bad prey was the main cause of their tummy-ache. It was stale, that's for sure, but that's all. There was nothing wrong with it. In fact, I think it was the thrush that Lionblaze caught yesterday. Lionblaze wouldn't have done something bad to his own catch. And besides, he's not that type of cat."

Leafpool's voice was worried. "What are you getting at, Jayfeather?"

"Did ShadowClan have any contact with us within the last few hours?" He asked.

Leafpool didn't reply.

"I guess that's a yes, then. I think you know what I'm suspecting. It was probably…"

The next word made Brightheart's heart skip a beat. She couldn't believe it. She realized Leafpool was right. It _was_ better if she didn't know. And now she did. It made her uneasy and frightened. She left then, that name in her head, repeating itself over and over again. She went to the camp entrance for no real reason. She didn't notice the fact that there was nobody guarding the entrance. She was much more concerned on other matters. Brightheart figured that it was best if she didn't confess to Leafpool and Jayfeather. That was her second mistake.

Brightheart was really scared. That name was still echoing in her head, and it was getting louder and louder. It was overwhelming. Brightheart vision went blurry.

She saw an image of a cat walking towards her. _The scent… it's not from ThunderClan…_ Brightheart felt dizzy. Then she collapsed.

Before she saw darkness, she heard the non-ThunderClan cat call her name.

"Brightheart! Brightheart! Are you all right?" The she-cat was right beside her now. "It's me, Willowshine! From RiverClan! What's wrong?"

Brightheart wanted to scream. There was a voice in her head. It was calling out a name. It was so loud that she couldn't bear it any longer. Then she blacked out.

The name was _Scourge._


	11. Chapter 11: In ShadowClan

**A New Era**

OK! I'm feeling a bit hyper today, so I'm typing to calm me down. Hmmm… Anyway, We're so caught up in ThunderClan! And ShadowClan always has to be the bad guys! They're always described as mean, dark, cruel, and evil. That's unfair! That's why we're going to visit them for a bit. Anyway, this chappie takes place one day after the Moonpool visit, two days before the gathering, the day Brightheart fainted, and one day after Hazeltail ran away. If you didn't figure it out in chappie 8 that she ended up in ShadowClan (cough cough, think pine trees, prickly underpaw…), then I hope you noticed last chappie.

Oh yah, please do three things for me.

Review

Review some more

Did I mention review?

~Crystal Cavern

P.S. Sorry this chapter is so short.

Chapter 11: In ShadowClan

It had been one day since Littlecloud returned to camp.

He was tired and depressed. The gathering was in two moonrises, and he still didn't tell his clan about Scourge yet. _I hope I won't ever have to tell them._ He thought. _I'll do what I need to do, but I wish ShadowClan wasn't affected. I don't want my clan to be in turmoil. It will be bad if they find out. I wish it would all pass. _But deep inside, he knew that it was impossible.

Littlecloud sighed as he poked his fresh-kill. What do I tell my clan? He left his fresh-kill there, his appetite gone, and went over to the elder's den.

"Greetings, Littlecloud." A voice said.

Littlecloud looked at the previously framed elder. "Hi."

"What have you come for? Are you really going to exile me?"

Then Littlecloud remembered. The day before, his clan came up to him with the request of exiling Runningnose. He protested, but he didn't win the argument. Littlecloud shuddered.

"Not without reason. I don't want to, and I won't. You are not guilty of Blackstar's death." Littlecloud said.

"Thank you for believing me." Runningnose said, emotionlessly. "I really appreciate it, but… it seems that ShadowClan thinks otherwise."

Littlecloud looked at the old elder. He admired Runningnose, and not just because he was his mentor, but also because he was not afraid of losing his life and being exiled. It took courage to do what he did. He stood firm when he was falsely accused as a murderer.

Littlecloud sighed again. "I'm sorry for this. I tried to convince them. I really did."

Runningnose nodded. "I know, but for now, you must lead ShadowClan. I don't mind if I am exiled. It has been a good life, especially after that horrible war with BloodClan."

Littlecloud tensed. Did Runningnose know something about Scourge's 'rebirth'"? He couldn't have! Runningnose was at camp the whole time he was gone, and he did not sleep! There was no way he could've gotten any help from StarClan at that time!

Littlecloud looked at his paws. "I'm sorry… It's… It's just that… Um… Well… A lot has been happening." He looked at the old elder. "Sorry." He said again.

"Littlecloud." Runningnose announced, his voice filled with emotion. "There is no need for you to be sorry. I accept my punishment, and I accept it with pride." Runningnose coughed once. "I know I am old, but I will manage to take care of myself somehow. Besides, I was surprised that ShadowClan spared my life."

"But you're an elder! I'm ashamed that ShadowClan would treat you like this! You've served your clan to your fullest, and this is how you get repaid! And now it's my fault, because I can't change their minds. It's not just the majority, Runningnose. Every cat in ShadowClan wanted you exiled!" Littlecloud hung his head lower. "I feel as if I have failed."

Runningnose looked at Littlecloud hard. "I must go soon." He said.

Littlecloud twitched his ears. "Should I ask RiverClan to shelter you for a while? That way, you would survive and-"

"No." Runningnose cut off. He then his eyes seemed far away. Unfocused. As if he were being possessed. "I feel it is best if the four clans have minimal contact with each other right now."

Littlecloud tensed once more. _Did he know about Scourge?_ "You mean…" He stammered, unsure if he should say it. "Do you know about…it?"

Runningnose closed his eyes and shook his head, but didn't reply. When he opened them again, it was focused once more, all trace of his sudden trance gone. "I'm sorry, Littlecloud. I felt gone for a second there. What did you say?"

Littlecloud was confused. _He doesn't remember my question._ "Nevermind. May StarClan light your path."

"And yours." Runningnose got up and walked away, with no grudges at anyone.

Littlecloud heard a few insults thrown at Runningnose made by warriors. Apprentices spat at him and told him not to come back –ever. Queens pushed their kits into the nursery as if the sight of Runningnose would kill them. Runningnose just silently padded out of camp. Littlecloud was devastated. He didn't do anything. He couldn't. Anything he did would have been futile. Yet, he could still have tried once more. But… now it was too late.

_He's gone now…_ _My mentor is gone…_

Littlecloud sank onto the ground, his limbs tired, his mind a jumbled mess. _What would you do, Runningnose, if you were in my place? _He thought. _Would you do what I did? How would you handle this situation? If a spirit framed me and the whole clan wanted me exiled, what would you do? _Littlecloud thought. _Not this. Not this… Not lying here like some limp crowfood. Not dying of depression. You'd want me to be strong, wouldn't you? You'd want me to live on with life. You'd want me to make ShadowClan strong once more. You'd want me to help save the clans… Am I right?_

Littlecloud got up. Every movement felt tiring. Every effort made needles pierce his heart. Every breath was threatening him to rest some more. Every painful heartbeat reminded him of his place, his status.

_If I don't do anything, who will?_

Littlecloud imagined Runningnose's laughing face. In his mind, he felt depressed, but in his heart, he felt the faint flicker of hope.

_I swear I will avenge you some day. I swear._


	12. Chapter 12: RunAway and Exiled

**A New Era**

Chappie 12 is out! Hope you enjoy it! Anyhoo… I didn't explain too much last chappie, only that ShadowClan wanted Runningnose exiled. And he was. Poor Runningnose. An elder too.

Crystal Cavern: Hello everybody! I brought a few friends with me today. Say the disclaimer, m'kay?

Firestar: Crystal Cavern doesn't own warriors.

Mistyfoot: Yah, and we're happy she doesn't. (glares are Crystal Cavern)

Littlecloud: Thank you for reading!

Squirrelflight: Keep those reviews coming! Crystal Cavern wanted you all to know that she lives off reviews.

Crystal Cavern: (laughs) Yes, yes! I eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So... I want you all to review!

~Crystal Cavern

P.S. Sorry this chappie is short too. I'll make the next one super long, I promise! Provided, that you review, of course.

Chapter 12: Run-Away and Exiled

A paw poked Hazeltail, making her open her eyes. She scanned her surroundings. Right in front of her was a cat with a runny nose. There were pine trees all around her. Most of the sun's rays shone through the branches, making her squint. The thick undergrowth, ivy, and other plants blocked most of the sunlight in ThunderClan. The light hurt her eyes. _Where am I?_ She thought.

Her nose hurt, and her pads were sore. Then Hazeltail remembered. She was a run-away. A fugitive. There was no chance that she could return to ThunderClan.

"You're not from ShadowClan." The cat in front of her calmly said. "What are you doing on ShadowClan territory?" The sudden comment made Hazeltail had forgotten about the cat.

Hazeltail looked around in disbelief. "I-I'm in ShadowClan?" She gasped. "Oh no! I'm so sorry! I'll leave right away!" Then she sniffed. The scent of ShadowClan was strong. She _was_ in ShadowClan. The cat right in front of her _was_ a ShadowClan cat. That was obvious, but she'd never seen him before. His tips of his muzzle and ears were grey. He looked like an elder, an old wise cat. _Great_, she thought, _I'm caught by an elder. I'd better apologize._ But the words that escaped her mouth were not that. "Who are you?" She asked. "I've never met you during gatherings before."

The cat in front of her twitched his ear. "I'm Runningnose. I was ShadowClan's former medicine cat. When you were born, I was already an elder. That's probably why you've never seen me."

Hazeltail sat up. "Runningnose…" She thought about the name. "I've heard about you!" She suddenly exclaimed, as if she suddenly remembered something important. "Longtail once told me a story about you!"

Runningnose nodded, a bit surprised. "Which one?"

Hazeltail looked down at her paws. "Well… Actually… It wasn't about you. You were just in it. Like a side character." Hazeltail sighed, unsure about how Runningnose would take it. "In truth, it was about Yellowfang and how she joined ThunderClan all those moons ago. He said that you became ShadowClan's medicine cat after that."

Runningnose nodded. "So that's how I'll always be remembered…" He looked at her, his eyes sad. "Only when Yellowfang left, did I become a full medicine cat. When the illness from the carrion-place spread, I couldn't stop it. I was useless. And now I am exiled." His expression showed that he regretted not being able to help much.

For a second, Hazeltail felt pity for the old elder. But then, she realized something. "Exiled?!" She yelled. "What are you talking about?! Why are you even here? Elders don't hunt!"

Runningnose's gaze hardened. "Enough chit-chat." He said. "Tell me. Why are _you _in ShadowClan's territory? What are you doing here? I may be exiled, but I'm no traitor! I will inform ShadowClan if you stay any longer."

Hazeltail stiffened for a second, and then she sighed. _I guess everyone has his or her secrets._ "Go ahead. Life can't possibly get any worse for me. I'm a ThunderClan run-away."

Runningnose gave a _mrrow _of laughter. "What are you talking about? Life can always get worse. You're life can't be as half as bad as mine."

Hazeltail looked away_. That's what you think. You're not me._

Runningnose looked at Hazeltail. "Tell me. Who are you? What happened?"

Hazeltail lied. She felt she couldn't completely trust the elder yet. "I'm Lionblaze. The fierce warrior, Lionblaze." She hoped that she sounded convincing enough. Her pelt color was close to Lionblaze's, so she felt that it just might work.

Runningnose nodded. "Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw's daughter, Lionblaze, huh? From the stories I've heard, I thought that you were a tom. In fact, I was sure you were a tom."

"I take that offensively. What's wrong with being female? Well. I _am_ widely known. I am a good hunter and I am a fierce fighter. I just can't believe my gender was suddenly switched. You can't believe all rumors, you know." Hazeltail's ears felt hot from the lie. "I'm just not good with words."

Runningnose nodded. "You haven't answered my second question yet. What happened? A well trained warrior doesn't trespass on another clan's terrirory."

"I'm not trespassing. I was…" She thought. "I was delivering a very important message to Blackstar." She then quickly realized that she was setting herself into a trap. "But it's not important anymore. Don't ask." She quickly added.

Runningnose flicked his tail after a while. "I see." Then, he got up and started padding towards ThunderClan. "Come with me then."

Hazeltail was surprised. "Where will you take me? I refuse to go back to ThunderClan." She tried to sound firm. _I refuse to go back to where nobody appreciates me. Nobody trusts me there. There is no point in returning._

Runningnose looked back. "You will come with me."

Hazeltail got up. "But where?"

Runningnose snorted. "Only StarClan knows that. We'll find a nice place to live." Then Runningnose's gaze became distant. "Right now, the four clans are in turmoil, but help will arrive, although, and with it, a great sadness. Trust will be hard to gain. Friends will turn into enemies. We will have to stay solitary. If you come with me, you are accepting these terms."

Hazeltail was a bit confused by his words, but she accepted them. She made up her mind. This was fine. She was fine. It's better to be with someone who was a real friend then a bunch of cats who didn't trust you. She would go with Runningnose and they would live somewhere. She would care for the old elder, because she respected him. She would be respected as well. Life would change for her, perhaps for the better.

_Yes. _She thought. _We are a run-away and an exiled. Clan life is not for us._

"I'll come." She said. With her pain gone, her hope renewed, she ran after the elder.


	13. Chapter 13: Catastrophe

**A New Era**

**To those who actually reviewed: Thank you so much!**

Natureboy3: I updated! (smiles)

FireWerewolf: Hmmm… Mysterious review… I like it!

Anonymous Person: Well hi to you too! And yes, I AM happy! SkyClan will appear soon! Don't worry!

Gabo1602: Yes! You're right! I'm so glad you PMed me! It was getting lonely here. Is this long enough?

But…I'm a little disappointed. The number of reviews are dropping so quickly (not that I got much in the first place). Is my writing quality going down or something? Am I getting worse, better, or staying the same? Why aren't you guys reviewing as much? Was it something I wrote? **I'm taking hours to write! Why aren't you taking 30 seconds to review?** It hurts, you know.

Anyway, on a happier note, we are on chappie 13! Woot! Lucky 13! Anyway, last chappie, Runningnose and Hazeltail became friends… but where are they going to go? How are they going to survive? Well… Sorry but, you won't know that until the next chappie! This time, we will be focusing on Cloudtail's journey to ShadowClan. Yes, we will! And, I'm sorry about the story. I understand that it's a bit hard to follow, since I write a chappie about one thing, and the next chappie is on the exact same day, exact same time, but at a different place. Personally, I don't like writing this way because the story goes too slowly, but if I don't, it will make no sense at all. I mean, talk about long! I only covered 2 days in 12 chapters! Ok. Sorry again. I'll stop my babbling right here.

Oh, and don't forget to review!

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 13: Catastrophe

Cloudtail rushed out of camp and onto Hazeltail's familiar scent trail as the late evening melted into dusk. He loved the thought of a journey. He wanted to go and track down Hazeltail, and then bring her back. Then, all of ThunderClan would thank him and congratulate him. It would make him proud of himself, because, after all, he _was_ the best tracker in ThunderClan. Maybe even the whole forest!

He found himself running with a warm feeling inside. Yes, he would bring back Hazeltail. That's what he was going to do. He imagined the whole scene again; him standing there with the whole clan clustered around him. He thought of a good quote to say when he got back. It would be about his success, of course. 'Tracking is my passion, I will do it anytime, for everyone!' That was a good one. It just might work. Brightheart would have beamed at him with pride. Whitewing would have smiled at him. Everybody else would thank him. He would have gained a great reputation. Then when the time came for choosing the deputy, it would probably be him.

Which reminded him… The leader… The meeting, which he didn't attend, was, or so he heard, a waste of time. It was _supposed_ to settle who the new leader would be, but unfortunately, it was a tie between three cats: Lionblaze, Sandstorm, and Greystripe.

_Lionblaze was chosen because he was a strong warrior and fighter_, Cloudtail thought. _At a time like this, Lionblaze would have helped the clan a lot. A strong leader would have led to a confident clan. Although RiverClan is less likely to attack us at this time since they are further away, WindClan and ShadowClan put up a threat._

Cloudtail dodged a fallen tree.

_ShadowClan would do anything to gain more territory. Personally, I don't like ShadowClan very much. In my opinion, ShadowClan warriors break the warrior code the most. Back in the forest, they drove out WindClan just to gain more territory! They also have no respect for StarClan!_ The mere thought made Cloudtail want to throw up._ That, of course, wasn't right. There's also the time when ShadowClan started to steal ThunderClan's prey. That was back in the old forest too, but I'll never forget it. What about ShadowClan's long list of evil leaders? Brokenstar and Tigerstar were the most famous cats. Both of them lived in ShadowClan at one point of their lives. If there was only Brokenstar, then I wouldn't have used this as proof, but Tigerstar too? One evil cat was enough, but to invite another evil cat right into your home? If you were that desperate, you were either mousebrained, or evil. Two evil leaders, one after the other! Coincidence? _Cloudtail didn't think so._ If that's not proof enough for you, then just think about the time when a ThunderClan kit was trapped in one of those two-leg fox traps. ShadowClan were there, but they didn't save the kit. They complained that it was on ThunderClan territory, and that they didn't want to trespass. But that was only an excuse. If they really didn't want to trespass, then why did they hide in bushes and watch the kit suffer? What use would it have been to just stay at the border? They could have saved the kit, and earned themselves some much needed credit. But, no! Instead, they just had to watch a kit suffer. That proves that they were, and still are, heartless and cruel._

Cloudtail rounded a rock jutting out of the ground, and not a second too late. He was so intent on his thoughts, that he hadn't really noticed where he was going. He was following Hazeltail's scent trail, yes, but where he was specifically, he didn't really know. It's like multitasking, but unconsciously.

_WindClan aren't much better. Use your brain! If they were good and noble, would they have allied with RiverClan to fight ThunderClan? No! They would not have spilled blood. _Cloudtail sighed as the memory came back tumbling into his head. He pushed it away._ ThunderClan would have agreed to talk if it would stop unnecessary blood spill. Great StarClan, Squirrelflight almost died! WindClan are so mousebrained! Because of that one mistake, their perfectly good record was stained, and many warriors were injured. How many generations would it take before this 'incident' would be covered up? _Cloudtail answered his own question. _It's so long, only StarClan knows._

Cloudtail arrived at the owl's nest. He sniffed at a few leaves and the grass. The unmistakable scent of Hazeltail was on it. There was also Sandstorm's scent and his own, a little fresher than Hazeltail's scent. At first he thought that it was strange, but then he remembered that he and Sandstorm had tracked Hazeltail a while before. Hazeltail's scent was stale after the night, but it was still there. Taking a deep breath, Cloudtail continued tracking.

Cloudtail's mind wandered off again. This time it was about Sandstorm.

_That's right…_ Cloudtail thought. _Sandstorm wasn't at the meeting. She doesn't know that she was elected as a possible leader. _Cloudtail sniffed at a leaf.

The fact was, he himself wasn't at the meeting either. He was with Sandstorm at that time, tracking Hazeltail. It was Whitewing who informed him right after he got back, but nobody told Sandstorm.

_Sandstorm… _He thought. _A wise choice… Sandstorm is an experienced senior warrior. Everyone respects her so she would lead without any problems. Sandstorm is widely known and she is very smart. No… not smart… Intelligent would be the word. A clever and knowledgeable leader right now might be the best. She has mentored so many apprentices, and she knows a bit of everything. She knows the basic herbs, and she can hunt and fight with ease. There would be no objections if Sandstorm was chosen._

Cloudtail jumped over a low shrub.

_But… What about Greystripe? _Cloudtail thought about it. _Greystripe has been deputy before. He knows what to do. He know how to do it… He could be the one to lead us. Greystripe has been Firestar's best friend for such a long time. He's equally smart, and he's just a good leader as Firestar. In fact, he would have been leader anyway, if he weren't caught. Besides, Greystripe's also widely known, and almost as strong as Lionblaze. He did so many deeds for the other clans too. He would most likely be respected._

Cloudtail's thoughts were scrambled. _Now that I think about it, I'm actually glad that I wasn't at the meeting, _he thought. _It would have been a hard choice. Lionblaze would be power. With him we would not seem weak. Sandstorm is wise. She would never let us down. Greystripe would seem to be the best choice with the least amount of risk since he knows what to do… but then… Lionblaze, Sandstorm, and Greystripe all have their strong points._

Cloudtail tried to think negative to take out one of the contestants.

_Lionblaze doesn't have experience. He might do something foolish. Plus… He never mentored an apprentice! The leader must be a cat that had mentored at least one apprentice. Greystripe is too worried about Millie right now. Any love-struck cat that makes lovey-dovey eyes might think of their mate first. He's the one with the least risk… Yet the most too… Sandstorm, although wise, might make us seem weak. She will put on an odd impression at the gathering. I don't know why… Just a feeling. _

Cloudtail sat down as he neared the ShadowClan border. He was uncertain of two things.

1. Who the leader should be. Cloudtail pondered on the thought. _I just wish StarClan would hurry up and choose! But if they didn't tell Leafpool… then they probably won't tell us… After all, Leafpool's the medicine cat!_

2. If he should cross over or not. Hazeltail was important, but he would be trespassing. If ShadowClan caught him, then it would be the end. _Fine. Then just don't let them catch you,_ he thought. He sniffed. No fresh ShadowClan scents. Satisfied, he stepped over the boarder.

Cloudtail followed Hazeltail's scent for a while. _Hazeltail! Please be close by!_ He thought. It would have been dreadful if Hazeltail were near ShadowClan warriors.

Cloudtail followed Hazeltail's scent and then… He saw… pawprints! (background music) (sorry 'bout that, I just had to put that in XD) Cloudtail sniffed the pawprints. They were Hazeltail's for sure. He looked at his own feet. They were making prints too. He noticed that the ground started to get wetter and squishier. Cloudtail made a mental note. He was getting closer to the edge of the lake.

_That's not good… _Cloudtail thought. _Any cat that comes here will be able to identify me. Please StarClan, if you are still up there and looking over us, please make it rain!_

Abandoning his earlier thought, he continued to work. It was much easier to track now that there were pawprints. Cloudtail quickened into a run.

He followed the pawprints and noticed that they were spaced closer together than his. _She must have been getting tired._

Then Cloudtail stopped and stiffened. He sniffed the ground. He looked up. In front of him was a really tall pine tree. It was as thick as three full-grown warriors standing nose to tail tip. He sniffed the tree. There was the unmistakable scent of Hazeltail on it. Right below the tree, there was an odd shape. To the side, there was a very steep slope.

The first thing Cloudtail thought was, _I'm so happy that she didn't fall over the cliff!_ Then he looked at the odd shape and sniffed the air above it._ I think she bumped into that tree and fell backwards, creating that odd shape... But then… There is also the smell of…_ Cloudtail tried to identify the ShadowClan scent. He knew it was a single cat, and a pretty old one too. The pawprints of the second cat were more wobbly and uneven than Hazeltail's. He must have been old to be _that _reckless.

He studied the scene before him. It seemed as if the elder… Cloudtail was determined not to give up. He sniffed the ShadowClan cat's pawprint one more time. Then he remembered. It was Runningnose.

_But what's Runningnose doing out here? Isn't he supposed to be back at his own camp? He could have come to get a drink… but then it looks like they met up and… _Cloudtail's eyes followed the trail.

_It looks like they were heading off to ThunderClan… with Runningnose in the lead. _Cloudtail was pleased with himself for solving the riddle of blurred scents and prints.

_So… All there is now is to follow them and see where they were heading._

Just as Cloudtail started to follow the newer set of prints… a raindrop fell... And more followed…

Cloudtail looked up and made a face to the dark cloudy sky. _I know I wanted rain… but this will wash away the tracks! Do you want me to succeed or not?!?! If all you cats up there think I'm going to say 'thank StarCl –ow! _Cloudtail blinked. A raindrop fell in his eye. He hissed at the sky. _Now… if you really think I'm going to say, 'Thank StarClan' right now, then you must be mousebrained! Now is not exactly the best time to send rain!_

Cloudtail took a deep breath and focused at his task. Just as he started sprinting, Littlecloud emerged right in front of him. They crashed together and the impact sent them both sideways… right to the edge of the slope.

"What in the name of StarClan?" Littlecloud asked. "What are you doing here, Cloudtail? You're lucky it was me who found you and not anybody else! If ShadowClan knew–"

"Foxdung!" Cloudtail spat. Then he realized whom he was talking to. "Stupid rain!" Cloudtail said quickly. "There's no time to explain. I have to go!"

Cloudtail's plan was to leap over Littlecloud, but Littlecloud, at that moment, sat up completely, and Cloudtail landed right on top of Littlecloud.

"Get off me!" Littlecloud spat.

Cloudtail quickly apologized and got off. He took a step to the right, but he misjudged how close he was to the slope, and his paw grabbed thin air. With that, the law of physics took over and the rest of Cloudtail's body followed his paw. Littlecloud tried to grab him but missed, and Cloudtail fell off the slope.

Littlecloud watched in horror as Cloudtail fell off the slope. He tumbled over rocks, sticks, and tree roots. There was nothing Littlecloud could do, and he felt horrible just watching his fellow friend fall to his death.

Littlecloud called to Cloudtail, even though he knew it was useless. Even from afar it was easy to tell that Cloudtail had snapped his neck during the fall.

"Oh StarClan!" Littlecloud cried. "Why now? Why? Was it you? Or was it-" Littlecloud stopped mid-sentence.


	14. Chapter 14: Travel

**A New Era**

Hiiiiiii everybodyyyyy! I'm high on sugar here! I think I ate too much cotton candy! Ohh! Ahh! Ka-pow! Wa-cha!

Sorry 'bout that! Anyway, I finally got Long Shadows! (Apparently there aren't enough copies to go around…) YES!!! FINALLY!!! LONG SHADOWS IS NOW IN MY HANDS!!!! Woot! WHOO-HOO!! I'm reading it right now! I find it so awkward! A lot of the ideas that I had, Erin Hunter copied! Ok… It was a coincidence! I was so surprised that in Long Shadows Erin Hunter made Leafpool tell Jayfeather to bring someone with him to collect herbs too! I was so surprised that I burst out laughing in the middle of a random period at school. It was so awkward after that! Weird… yet funny! It was fun! Yet my whole class stared at me like I was some lunatic. I was so happy that I kept a low profile at school!

Anyways, this is chappie 14! Enjoy! Just a reminder: This continues off after Hazeltail agrees to join Runningnose. M'kay? Good.

Oh, and don't forget to review! The more reviews I get, the more motivation, and the faster I will update! So review! Or else Scourge possesses the beloved Squirrelflight! Mwahahahahaha! (cough cough) I mean… Please review. (smiles) The reviews are greatly appreciated. :D

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 14: Travel

Hazeltail followed Runningnose. They had been traveling north for a while, but still they continued. Hazeltail glanced up. The sky was darkening and clouds were forming. It was going to rain soon.

Finally Hazeltail broke the sullen silence. "Where are we going, Runningnose?"

"I honestly don't know." He looked back at Hazeltail. "Wherever it is, it will be far away…. across the borders." Runningnose continued to walk.

Hazeltail sighed. "Where are we right now?"

Runningnose hesitated and looked around. "We're near the Greenleaf Twolegplace."

"Where's that?" asked Hazeltail, who had absolutely no idea of her own whereabouts. She knew they were still in ShadowClan; the land reeked of their odor, but that was all. She patiently waited for Runningnose's reply.

Runningnose padded on a bit further. Hazeltail was getting a bit annoyed because her question was not answered but she didn't want to dishonor Runningnose, so she clamped her mouth shut. Normally, she would have said a rude remark, but this time she didn't.

As they rounded a bush, Hazeltail saw a big clearing. The grass was a bright green. A single ray of sunlight escaped the clouds and shone in front of them, kind of like a path. Hazeltail looked around in awe while Runningnose sat down.

"This is the Greenleaf Twolegplace, isn't it, Runningnose?" Hazeltail asked. Runningnose nodded.

Hazeltail took a step forward. "Wouldn't it be beautiful in greenleaf? I mean, this clearing would be filled with all sorts of flowers, right? Wouldn't there be a lot of prey here too?"

Runningnose snorted. "Pretty, yes, but it doesn't help the clan much. Right now, it is newleaf, but in greenleaf, many twolegs come here and scare away all the prey. Sometimes the twolegs venture further into our territory. We have to be alert when we come here."

Hazeltail didn't know what to say. She didn't want to sound like she pitied ShadowClan. It's not like ShadowClan was weak.

Runningnose got up. "Come on." He said, and padded across the clearing.

Hazeltail bounded after him. "Where are we going?"

"For the last time, I don't know! Keep your mouth shut, Lionblaze. You ask too many questions. Sometimes," Runningnose added, "the answers you hear will shock you. Some things are better off known by few."

The small grey and white she-cat bit back a sour reply. _Fine. I guess you could be right…_ Then a thought hit her.

Hazeltail didn't want to make Runningnose mad, but she had to ask one more question. This one was important. "Runningnose, I'm sorry! I just have to ask one more question." She hesitated for a bit, half expecting Runningnose to deny her request. Quickly she added, "Are we leaving the clans for good?" As much as Hazeltail felt betrayed, there was still that sliver of hope that linked her to her clan. "I mean, what about the gathering? Isn't it tomorrow?"

Runningnose answered without looking back. "Yes, the gathering is tomorrow."

"No! Not _that_ question! The other one! Are we leaving the clans for good or not? Are we becoming rogues… or loners?"

"That's two questions, Lionblaze," Runningnose said. "Which one do you want answered the most?"

Hazeltail made up her mind pretty easily. "The first one."

"Then the answer would be 'no'."

Hazeltail almost leaped for joy. "That's great!"

Runningnose muttered something under his breath. Then he spoke louder. His voice was emotionless. "So it is."

A while later, it stared to rain. Droplets of rain splattered on everything. It made their coats plaster onto their skin. A soft breeze passed by and Hazeltail suddenly felt cold.

"Brrr…" she said. "Hey Runningnose, we should find a place to rest. We're going to get ill if we stay out in this weather."

"I agree," Runningnose replied. "But I think we should keep on going until we exit ShadowClan territory."

"Why?"

"I know you're not mousebrained, Lionblaze. Why do you think?" Runningnose said, not unkindly.

Hazeltail's temper finally broke. "Don't answer my question with another question!" It felt good to say it out loud, but she knew Runningnose wasn't going to keep his cool much longer. She felt like a nuisance.

"Then maybe you shouldn't ask so many questions!" Runningnose replied. "Why do you think?! If you were smart, then you would use your head! The Lionblaze I heard about was smart, cunning, and strong! What has gotten into you?"

"What if I'm not smart?! What if I just want to know?!" Hazeltail shook her head, wishing desperately that she would have taken that back. "I mean, what if I want to know what _you_ think?"

"Then I wouldn't care! Are all ThunderClan warriors like this?!" Runningnose spat.

"No! And don't insult my clan!" Hazeltail had to force herself to remember that she shouldn't be looking for a fight. Every hair on her pelt bristled, but she forced it to lie flat.

"Fine." Runningnose said, and walked on, increasing his pace. Hazeltail quickly caught up.

Hazeltail felt bad about what she said before. She hesitated, but then she gathered every ounce of courage and took a breath… and let it out again… Her pride just wouldn't let her say it. She couldn't say she was sorry.

_It was his fault anyway,_ she thought.

Then "Lionblaze" noticed that the landscape had changed from a clearing to some dense woodland. She looked around. _This is just like ThunderClan!_ She thought.

Runningnose gaped his mouth to check the scents. Hazeltail noticed and quickly did the some. _Mouse… Rabbit… fox! Wait… The fox scent is stale. It probably was only passing by._

"Do you smell that fox?" Hazeltail asked. "Do you think it will come back?"

"No. I don't… but while Littlecloud was gone," _Gone?_ Hazeltail thought,_ Gone where?_ "a fox was spotted heading in this direction by a border patrol. It's very likely that its den is in ShadowClan territory. It probably comes here or RiverClan to hunt." Runningnose checked the scent again. "But it's stale… It hasn't been here for a while."

_That's what I think too. Hey. On the bright side, Runningnose isn't entirely helpless, _Hazeltail thought.

Hazeltail glanced up again. It was moonhigh and the moon was peeking out from behind the rain clouds. Hazeltail sighed. "I'll look for a place to stay tonight."

Runningnose snorted. "This place is fine. Hazeltail looked towards Runningnose. He was standing beside a tall bush. The base had just enough room for two cats. Hazeltail looked at it with disgust.

"Don't you think we should find some proper housing? It looks muddy and –"

"Muddy?! Show some courage! At least it's sheltered from the rain!" Runningnose narrowed his eyes. "Admit it, will you? We're both tired and we want to rest! This place will do for now."

Hazeltail was determined to be brave. After all, if Runningnose got any more suspicious, then he would suspect that she wasn't Lionblaze. As much as she wanted to tell him the truth, she couldn't. If he knew, then he would get mad at her, and in the worst possible situation, he could leave her, and she would be alone again. That reason alone was enough to make her clamp her mouth shut and behave, like a good little apprentice.

Hazeltail sighed and gave in. _At least the fox isn't here._ She crawled under the bush. Runningnose was right behind her. Hazeltail settled down and tried to go to sleep.

But then… She heard a noise. A growl-like noise. Only when Runningnose made a comment on it did she realize what it was.

"I see you're hungry." Runningnose said. "But I myself –" He was cut off by another stomach growl, this time from his own body.

"And when was the last time you ate?" Hazeltail teased. "You're not one of those fat pampered kittypets who needs diets!"

Runningnose's eyes sparkled. "No, I'm not." He let out a purr of amusement.

What Hazeltail said next surprised even her. If she had a choice, she wouldn't have said it, but it seemed like the right time, and her mouth seemed to form words by itself. "Runningnose, I-I'm sorry about earlier."

Runningnose gave her a questioning look. "About what? That was my fault. I've realized that we need to work together to survive out here." He chuckled. "And I need you more than you need me."

"Th-that's not true!" Hazeltail objected. _I need a friend… more than you know._

"Of course it is." Then Runningnose put on a more serious expression, and his voice changed. "Now, listen to me, Hazeltail. Tomorrow, you are to go to the gathering without me."

Just when Hazeltail was going to object, Runningnose silenced her by slapping his tail in her mouth. _This tastes like mud… _Hazeltail made a face. _Ewww…_

"Don't argue with me. Tomorrow, something important will happen at the gathering. Stay hidden, but attend it. At all costs, do not let yourself be seen. Now, get some sleep. Not a peep from you until dawn. Oh, and don't try to sneak off."

_Sneak off? Don't you trust me? I had no such thought in mind!_

Hazeltail couldn't object, and soon, Runningnose feel into a deep sleep. Hazeltail, on the other hand, couldn't. It was partly because she had a lot on her mind and partly because Runningnose's runny nose made a bubbling sound when he breathed.

She flattened her ears on her head. The sound was so annoying. Oh, how she wished she could shut him up with a good kick! It was so tempting! _But I can't, _she thought. _It would be the end of the world if I did. _

Then Hazeltail heard a rustle. She tasted the air. _Fox!_


	15. Chapter 15: Hints

**A New Era**

Many thanks to everybody who reviewed! Thank-you! Without them, it might take moons before I update! But it did anywayz… I'm sorry, everyone! It's because… well… I had tests… and stuff… and my Internet connection wasn't working…

To Unknown Person: Yah, I know that Hazeltail's grey and white. That's why in chappie 14, I put, the 'grey and white she-cat'. In my opinion, that's pretty close to a sandy color. It's not something like black.

To Anonymoose: Thank you for all the reviews! Just to clarify: Brightheart fainted, Cloudtail snapped his neck, and who in the name of StarClan is Squirreltail? And yah, thanks for Long Shadows! Btw, why don't you just create an account? Oh, and FYI, you spelt my name wrong! I would have said this to your face, but I feel like saying it out loud. :P XD

To Gabo1602: Yes, CLOUDTAIL! And yes, FOX! And yes, chappie 15 in finally here!

Whoo-hoo! (does happy dance) Now… review everyone, or else I won't update the next chappie until next moon! Think I'm lying? Try me. Oh, and… This chappie is just a continuation of chappie 14. Also, I could have stopped in many places of this chappie, and it would have been an awesome cliffie, but I didn't, so thank me. :D

~Crystal Cavern

P.S. There are a few clues in this chappie. And if you find something awkward, then it's probably a clue. I did not make any mistakes in this chappie. So… enjoy! ^-^

Chapter 15: Hints

Hazeltail tried not to move. She could hear the fox scuffling around near their bush. She _couldn't_ move... If she did then the fox might hear… but Runningnose… He might alert the fox with his snoring! Hazeltail held her head lower to prevent it from rustling the lowest branches of the bush and peeked a glance at Runningnose. He was asleep, peacefully, but not for long. Soon, another snore will come and the fox will hear it.

Hazeltail held her breath. _Please, StarClan! _She begged, _please make the fox go away! I don't think I can fight it all on my own! Help me!_ To her horror, StarClan didn't help her. It was as if they were haunting her, saying that she was a traitor, saying that she was the one who abandoned _them_ first. Hazeltail let out that breath with a bitter thought. _Fine. I don't need you. I can survive with Runningnose on my own. You're a hindrance anyway. Besides, I've left my old life with the clans and I've left you. This is my new life._

Hazeltail sighed halfway and then suddenly stopped. Her body tensed, and she hoped that the fox didn't hear her. She twitched her ear to try to catch any new sounds, gaped her mouth to welcome in new scents, but her eyes was always locked on Runningnose. She was looking for signs of the next snore.

Outside, the fox was getting closer. Hazeltail wasn't sure what she should do. Maybe she should stay still and hope that the fox doesn't smell her. Maybe she should dart out, alert the fox, and run away. The fox would give chase, since they were stupid creatures. Also, that way, Runningnose would be safe. But what about the scent on her pelt? Hazeltail thought about it. _Well… Let's just hope that this fox is stupid…_

Hazeltail was tired. It was nearly dawn, and she hadn't even slept a wink. She was very tired. _There is no way I could fight off a fox in this condition. And even if I ran, it would catch me soon enough…_

_But what about Runningnose? Should I wake him up or not? _Hazeltail was running out of time. She wasn't sure on what she should do. Judging from the noise, the fox was about five tail lengths away, and getting closer. Hazeltail shut her eyes tight. Maybe the fox would go away.

The fox stood three tail lengths away from Hazeltail now. It caught her sent and scuffled closer. To Hazeltail's surprise, the fox didn't attack. Instead it sat down right before the bush and waited. Hazeltail was confused, but she didn't move.

Hazeltail was surprised on what she heard next. She heard a scratchy voice that sounded hoarse. Although it was hoarse, it spoke fluent cat. "You're awake, aren't you?"

Hazeltail was scared. _Foxes shouldn't be able to speak cat! They were jealous creatures and they only listened to threats! _

"It's all right. I promise I won't harm you," The voice said again.

Hazeltail reluctantly got out of the bush. Sure enough, the fox was there, waiting for her. Although it was not full grown, it still had sharp teeth, and it was well fed.

"D-did you just say something?" Hazeltail asked. Her voice wobbled.

The fox grinned and its tongue rolled out of its mouth. "Yes. I did." It said.

Hazeltail's brain swarmed with questions. _How come you can speak cat? Why aren't you attacking me? Where did you come from? Are you the fox that Runningnose was talking about? Are we in your home? Why are you alone? Why aren't you killing us? _Hazeltail wanted to ask so many questions but nothing came out of her mouth.

The fox looked at her curiously. "What's the matter? Vole got your tongue?" It snickered. The sound was dreadful to Hazeltail.

Then the fox straightened up again. "Why are you here? This is not your territory. Leave or else I will rip you to shreds." The fox dug her claws into the dirt to show that she meant it. "I could easily kill you. Be afraid. Be very afraid." The fox's eyes were mocking. She was enjoying torturing her prey. She knew that Hazeltail was too weak to fight.

_Hazeltail! Do something! _She screamed at herself. _Do something! Or else you'll die here! _

The fox sniffed the air and Hazeltail's heart quickened. She was sure the fox could hear it. "I smell another cat." The fox's eyes narrowed. "And he's right behind you. Tell him to come out. I want to meet him. Do it, or else I will claw off your tail."

As Hazeltail turned around, she heard the fox snicker again. "Don't try to do something funny. You can't run from me."

Hazeltail gulped. _I should have ran when I had the chance!_ She got under the bush. With one paw, she prodded Runningnose. "Hey, Runningnose, wake up!" She hissed softly. "Wake up!"

Runningnose woke up and looked at her. "What's wro-"

The sight of Hazeltail's terrified eyes shut him up. "I see." He said, going back to his distant, prophecy-like mode. "The different one has come."

With that, Hazeltail watched as Runningnose heaved himself up. His head hit the branches and let out a grunt. He held it lower. "Move over." He said.

Hazeltail quickly got out of the way. She didn't even realize she was blocking his path. Runningnose stepped out to greet the fox.

"So you have come." He said.

The fox hissed at him. "What are you talking about? Don't you know your life is in my paws?"

"You are the one who will-"

"Silence! You cannot command me! All you elders are the same!" The fox lashed her tail in fury. "I am not your toy!" it sneered.

"You can't hurt us. You know what that would mean, don't you?"

The fox shrank back, as if Runningnose's words stabbed her. "Who are you?" it asked.

Hazeltail watched. Runningnose seemed to know this fox, but there was no way that that was possible. Hazeltail was confused.

The fox was about the same size as Runningnose, which was about twice as small as a full-grown fox. Hazeltail noticed that when she didn't puff out her fur; she actually was a bit smaller than Runningnose. _It's just a kit!_

The fox snapped her jaws together. "What do you know? It's not _you_ who have power over me!"

Runningnose didn't reply. He stared blankly at the fox.

The fox had enough. With a final lash of her tail, she ran off, towards the opposite direction of ShadowClan. Hazeltail took note of that.

Hazeltail shook her head. _What just happened?_

She padded over to Runningnose. "Um… Runningnose? Who was that fox?"

Runningnose glanced at Hazeltail. "I have no idea."

"That's a lie! Tell me!" Hazeltail couldn't believe how Runningnose could say it with such a straight face. _He has the markings of a liar, _she thought bitterly.

Runningnose looked in the direction that the fox went. "It's not time yet."

Hazeltail was confused, offended, and slightly angry. _He's withholding knowledge from me! Just like ThunderClan…_ The thought of ThunderClan made her cringe. It hurt a bit to think of them.

She looked up at Runningnose, saw his blank look, sighed, and forgave him. She might not know who the fox was. But whoever she was, she was important. Soon, she would be able to meet her again, she was sure of it. Hazeltail felt as if their destinies were entwined, along with Runningnose's. _When that day comes, _Hazeltail thought, _I would not be afraid. _

"Runningnose," Hazeltail said as another thought came across her mind. "I just remembered… why aren't you going to the gathering?"

Runningnose padded back to their "den".

Hazeltail tagged along. Her fur fluffed out just a tiny bit. "Why aren't you telling me?"

Runningnose sat down and seemed to forget what he was going to do. "Do you really want to know that badly?" he asked.

"Of course!" Hazeltail was surprised that he asked. She waited eagerly for is answer.

"It's because I am exiled. I'm old. I have a better chance of being seen and heard. I'm slow. I would sow you down. Go without me."

Hazeltail was sure that there was another reason, one that he wasn't sharing. "Is that _all_?" she asked.

"Would I lie to you?"

_It's highly possible… _"Don't answer my question with another question!"

"Fine."

Hazeltail blazed with annoyance. "I mean, answer my question, but don't answer it with another question!"

"But at least I answered your question." Runningnose said as he trotted off towards the direction of ThunderClan.

"Wait! Don't go!"

Runningnose stopped and looked back. "I'm hungry. I'm going to hunt."

Hazeltail realized that she hadn't eaten for a while either. Her fur burned with embarrassment. She also wanted to hunt, but she was too tired.

"Go get some rest. Think about what happened if you want to. Just be sure you're ready for tonight's gathering."

"Don't you want me to come with you?"

Runningnose let out a purr. "Go rest. Don't overwork yourself. I'll be fine."

"But how will you catch anything?"

"With luck, StarClan will provide, Hazeltail."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Never been surer than this. Go rest."

Hazeltail nodded. "Thanks Runningnose."

Runningnose nodded and continued to walk away. Hazeltail lay down by the roots of a willow tree and wrapped her tail around her nose. She closed her eyes.

"Oh, and Runningnose?" Hazeltail asked, without opening her eyes.

"Yes?" Came the distant answer. "What?"

"Can you catch me a mouse?"

"We'll see. No more talking. Go to sleep."

Hazeltail did just that.


	16. Chapter 16: Exposed

**A New Era**

Ellos! How're ya doing? I'm fine! :D Just a bit bored. So… I wonder… What will happen in this chappie? Well… actually I know, since I'm the author, but you don't! Mwahahahahah! *cough cough* I mean, it's a very nice chappie, and explains a bit more. It's in Hollyleaf's POV. So basically, this chappie is what was going on before the gathering. I didn't want to write the boring part, so I skipped it. Life went on normally from dawn to the gathering… Well… actually… nothing is "normal" at this time, but you know that I mean, right? I'm going ta stop blabbing right here so you can read on. Read on, my awesome loyal fans (who love this story, which is my first fanfic), read on! XD

Oh, and btw, the reason I couldn't update for a long time was because I moved, and it was a HUGE move. I knew that, so I set up the threat from last chappie. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! :D Oh, and also! I tried to make this chappie super super interesting because of my absence. Thanks for all your reviews! :D (My goal is to reach 100 in this story, btw)

So now, I'm back and I will be updating regularly. Thanks!

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 16: Exposed

Hollyleaf was glad she had convinced Leafpool to go to the Gathering early. She figured that if they arrived before the other clans, she could slink into RiverClan and talk to Willowshine. The last time she had seen the RiverClan medicine cat was only two sunrises ago when she paid a visit to ThunderClan, but already Hollyleaf had more to discuss with her. She wanted to help the clans as much as she could too, and this was the first step.

Just as she was about to leave camp, she noticed that she didn't know who was going. Jayfeather came out of the medicine cat's den and padded towards her, his expression unreadable, as usual. Hollyleaf pawed the ground.

"Are you nervous?" Jayfeather asked. "It's ok to be, you know."

Hollyleaf sighed. "A bit, but I'm sure we can do something." She said without looking up.

"Of course." Jayfeather replied. "Where's Lionblaze?"

"I'm not sure. Is he coming to the gathering?"

"Yes, he is." Jayfeather said. "Leafpool, Lionblaze, Dustpelt, Sorreltail, Whitewing, Greystripe, Cinderheart, Poppyfrost, and Foxpaw will be going with you. Brightheart has healed from her unconsciousness and is fine now so she will go too. Honeyfern and Mousewhisker will try once again to track down Hazeltail. We have to get her back as soon as possible. Also, Cloudtail is missing as well. Birchfall and Spiderleg will try to find him. The rest of us will stay in camp. There is no point of us all going to the Gathering, you know."

Hollyleaf looked up. "I know… It's just that… Cloudtail and Hazeltail are missing! Who's going to be next?"

Jayfeather hung his head low. "I don't know." Then he looked up at Hollyleaf. She felt that he was staring at her, even though she knew that he couldn't see. His gaze was determined and strong. "When the time of war happens, we'll be ready… even if it kills us."

"By that you mean…" Hollyleaf started.

"That's right. Soon, the battle will rage. Blood will be spilled. How we're going to fight him, I don't know, but just trust StarClan. StarClan have never failed us before, and they won't start now. Our warrior ancestors will always watch over us." Jayfeather said.

Lionblaze padded up. He seemed to have overheard what his littermates were talking about. "Jayfeather." He said. "Any cat would know that you are a true faithful clan cat."

Hollyleaf give a halfhearted laugh. "We're talking like we're never going to see each other again! Cheer up. This isn't the end of the world; it's just the Gathering!" Inside, though, she had a bad feeling that they were going to be separated somehow.

Jayfeather gave a _mrrow_ of laughter too. "You're right. We shouldn't talk like this."

"Yah." Lionblaze said sadly. _I wonder if Lionblaze shares my emotions…_Hollyleaf thought.

Then Jayfeather became all serious. "Now listen. Last night, Cloudtail came to me in my dreams." Before he could continue, a screech came from Hollyleaf.

"WHAT?!?!?!?! Cloudtail is DEAD?!?!?!" Hollyleaf cried.

Out of nowhere, Brightheart bounded up to Hollyleaf. Her gaze was sorrowful, and she was practically gasping for breath. "What are you talking about, Hollyleaf?! Cloudtail is _dead_?!?!?!"

"No!" Jayfeather cried quickly. "Don't say it so loudly!"

But it was too late. The whole camp was raging, and order was lost. Every cat was asking questions. After about ten seconds of complete misery, woe, and shock, everyone finally gained enough sense to turn to the medicine cats.

Icepaw wailed. "Not another one!"

Whitewing gasped. "No! It's not true! I refuse to believe it!"

"Why Cloudtail?" Mousewhisker cried.

"Does StarClan have anything to do with it?" Longtail asked.

Leafpool tried to restore order, but nobody was listing. The complaints continued.

Finally, Squirrelflight's tongue went loose and she uttered to herself, "It _must _have been Scourge."

The camp was silent. Nobody dared to move. Everybody stopped in their tracks.

_Squirrelflight! _Hollyleaf thought. _You fleabrain! Now look at what you've done! Now everyone in camp knows! You've ruined everything!_

Squirrelflight looked up. "Oops…" She said.

"Oops is right!" Sandstorm retorted. "I can't believe what you just said… out loud! Are you trying to scare everyone to death? Can't you see we're in enough shock alre –"

Leafpool held her tail up and flicked it for silence. She laughed a bit. "I didn't expect you, Sandstorm, of all the cats, to be the one to start yelling."

"I-I'm sorry. I made it worse, didn't I?" Sandstorm said.

"That you did." Leafpool said. "Now I suppose that you're all wondering what's going on now, aren't you?" Leafpool addressed the rest of the clan.

Murmurs arose and whispers were heard. Of course everyone agreed that it was time that they knew what was going on.

Thornclaw spoke up. "I _knew_ something was going on that most of us didn't know about. To tell you the truth, we are also hiding something. The meeting, everyone…?"

More murmurs. "That's right." Foxpaw spoke up. "I'm tired of all this. We want to know what's going on. In return, we'll tell you," he indicated the medicine cats, Hollyleaf, and Berrynose, "about the meeting."

Dustpelt cuffed Foxpaw. "That's not for you to decide, _apprentice_." He sneered. "That's the senior warriors' job."

Fowpaw let out an angry hiss and his fur stood on end, but he backed away, like he should.

Icepaw whispered something to her littermate, and Foxpaw calmed down a bit.

Jayfeather glared at Hollyleaf. "This is all your fault, Hollyleaf." He spat.

"My fault? It was Squirrelflight who blurted it out!" Hollyleaf tried to defend herself. "Besides… didn't _she_ tell everybody about Scourge?"

Jayfeather clenched his teeth. "You said his name again…" Jayfeather prepared to spring.

Brackenfur sighed and stepped between them. "Look at yourselves. Fighting like kits. What would Firestar say?"

Rosekit squealed. "But Firestar's not here, Brackenfur."

Daisy quickly shushed her kits and herded them into the nursery. "Don't say anything!" she begged. "This is an important matter."

Brackenfur cleared his throat. "As I was saying… before I was rudely interrupted… what would Firestar say if he were here?" He paused. "Come on! What would he say? Why aren't any of you answering me? It's because you're guilty. You're all guilty!"

Ferncloud hissed. "And _you're_ the most perfect cat here, aren't you, Brackenfur? _Nobody _can be as perfect as _you._"

"That's not what I meant, Ferncloud." Brackenfur said.

Lionblaze stepped forward. "I haven't said anything before, but now I will. Please listen to me, everyone. If we don't leave soon, the Gathering will start without us, and besides…" he looked up. "There is a truce on the night of the Gathering. Would any of you dare break that truce?"

Murmurs of agreement could be heard around camp.

"Of course not." Lionblaze said. "I suggest that we drop this matter and discuss it later. Does anyone agree? Good."

The cats started to depart for the Gathering. Hollyleaf felt guilty for starting all the commotion and she felt as if she did a lot of harm to her clan. Hollyleaf silently padded out of camp.

Then she heard a voice. "I thought you weren't coming, Jayfeather."

"I wasn't planning to, but it seems that this can't be avoided anymore." Jayfeather explained. He padded over to Hollyleaf.  
"I'm sorry." Hollyleaf said.

"That's ok. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you." There was an awkward pause. Then, Jayfeather continued. "Now that the whole camp knows that Cloudtail is dead, and that Scourge is linked with it, we can't turn back anymore."

Hollyleaf nodded.

"Now we have to move forward… Come on, Hollyleaf, we're lagging behind."

Hollyleaf didn't notice, but she was, in fact, behind the main group. She quickened into a trot to catch up. Jayfeather and Lionblaze followed close behind, being careful to be within two tail-lengths of the lake. They were now in WindClan territory, and they didn't want to make them angry.


End file.
